RUTLAND—On July 20, 2015 at about 11:15 p.m., an officer of the Vermont State Police attempted to stop a vehicle on South Main Street in Rutland City for operating without its headlights on after dark. The vehicle failed to stop and drove into the parking lot of McDonald’s. The vehicle slowed and one male passenger jumped out of the vehicle while the vehicle was still in motion. The vehicle continued out of the parking lot and drove into the parking lot of the Comfort Inn on Allen Street in Rutland City, hitting a parked tractor trailer and causing damage to the tractor trailer truck. The fleeing vehicle then struck a state police cruiser in an attempt to leave the parking lot. After striking the cruiser, the driver of the vehicle continued to flee on Park Street, then onto Forest Street, while the state police continued in pursuit.
At times the vehicle was traveling in excess of 80 mph on Forest Street. At the intersection of Forest Street and West Street, the operator of the fleeing vehicle was unable to negotiate the intersection. The vehicle traveled across West Street and struck a fence, bushes and several gravestones in the cemetery, causing damage to Rutland City property.
Immediately after the crash, the operator of the vehicle fled on foot. Other responding police officers established a perimeter and a canine truck was deployed, but the operator was not immediately located.
Further investigation identified the operator as Randall Reynolds, age 22, of Pittsford, Vt.
In the early morning hours of July 21, troopers located Reynolds in the town of Pittsford and took him into custody. He was transported to the Vermont State Police Barracks in Rutland Town. Reynolds was later lodged at the Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility and was scheduled to appear in Vermont Superior Court, Criminal Division on July 21 at 12:30 p.m. to answer to the charges of attempting to elude law enforcement, gross negligent operation of a motor vehicle, two counts of leaving the scene of a crash with property damage and driving with a criminally suspended license.
The Vermont State Police were assisted by the Rutland City Police Department and the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife Game Wardens during this incident.
