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Police: Driver in deadly wrong-way crash steals cruiser, flees scene

WILLISTON, Vt. — Vermont State Police say a man driving the wrong way on an interstate highway crashed into another car, killing five teenagers.

Police say a man was driving a truck the wrong way on I-89 late Saturday night when he hit a car full of teenagers, which burst into flames. All inside died.

A State trooper arrived on scene and left his car to try and extinguish the flames and save the teens. That's when police say the wrong-way driver, 36-year-old Steven Bourgoin, went inside the trooper's cruiser and drove down the highway, going the wrong way again.

"In the process of trying to extinguish that fire, he looked up and noticed that someone had jumped into his cruiser and took off traveling southbound with the emergency lights still activated,” Vt. State Police Capt. Michael Henry said.

Police said he hit seven vehicles and left several people with non-life threatening injuries while driving the stolen cruiser.

Four of the teens who died were juniors at Harwood Union High School.

"These were all terrific young students that have been taken from us way too early and far too soon,” Principal Lisa Atwood said.

Bourgoin was arrested when the cruiser burst into flames.  He faces charges for aggravated operation for stealing cruiser and gross negligence for the crash. He has been held on $1 million bail.

Bourgoin has an open domestic assault charge in Vermont, a case that is set to start next month. The alleged event happened in May 2016 and family court granted custody of his child to his ex-girlfriend a few weeks ago. Officials say he also has a DUI charge on his record from 2002.

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