Staff report
WEST WOODSTOCK — A 50-year-old Mendon woman suffered minor injuries after driving her car off Route 4 and into the Ottauquechee River on Monday afternoon.
Kathleen Burns, of Mendon, was taken to Mt. Ascutney Hospital with minor, but unknown injuries, when around 2 p.m she slid her red Dodge Charger off the eastbound lane of Route 4 and into the riverbed near the intersection of Iver Johnson Way. A dog in the vehicle appeared to be OK, but was taken to Woodstock Animal Care by police.
There were open and empty alcoholic beverage containers in the vehicle, according to Woodstock Police Chief Robbie Blish.
Before running off the road, Burns was swerving and nearly ran head-on into two vehicles, according to Jeremy Miller and Dylan Morey, both 19, of Sandown, New Hampshire, who were driving a couple cars ahead of Burns.
The two were headed home after snowboarding when they saw, in their rearview mirror, the red car driven by Burns, swerving in and out of the lane.
They also saw Burns hit a guardrail a couple of miles back from the spot where she went into the river.
Miller and Morey stopped to check on Burns and noticed she was conscious.
“She got really lucky,” Miller said.
Nicole and Jeremy Johnson, of Glen Falls, New York, were driving by when they saw a plume of steam coming from the river. They stopped and helped Burns’ dog when it was released from the car.
The accident is under investigation, according to Blish.
