Man struck by officer charged with DUI dies

An off-duty Burlington police officer, suspended due to drunken driving allegations, is expected to face more serious criminal charges Monday after one of two elderly people she struck died, St. Albans Police said Sunday.

Omer Martin, 74, of St. Albans died at University of Vermont Medical Center on Saturday, Lt. Ron Hoague said in a news release.

"The charges against Leanne Werner are expected to be upgraded at arraignment Monday," he wrote. The exact nature of the new charges in Vermont Superior Court were unavailable.

Werner was initially ordered to appear in court on charges of DUI and gross negligent operation. Both of those charges could have been felony counts due to the serious nature of the injuries.

Burlington Deputy Police Chief Jannine Wright, the city's acting chief, said in an email Sunday that her department had been made aware that Martin had died Saturday "as a direct result of the traffic crash" a week ago.

"Our thoughts are with those who were affected by this tragic incident," Wright said.

EARLIER: Police: Burlington officer suspected of DUI

She said Werner has been on paid leave since shortly after the 5:15 p.m. crash July 12th on Lower Newton Road near Brigham Road in St. Albans Town.

Werner, who has worked for Burlington police since 2011, is the subject of "a full internal investigation once the crash investigation is complete," Wright said.

Hoague said St. Albans Police were told "Martin had passed away due to health complications following the motor vehicle crash he was involved in." Hoague said an autopsy is planned for either Sunday or Monday.

Werner's blood-alcohol content according to a roadside test was 0.081 percent, St. Albans Chief Gary Taylor said the day after the crash. Legally, an adult driver in Vermont is considered impaired at 0.08 percent.

Efforts to reach Werner since the crash for comment or to determine if she had retained a defense lawyer have been unsuccessful.

Werner, 30, of St. Albans was in a 2012 Ford Escape when the vehicle crossed a double yellow line on Lower Newton Road, the police said. The Escape struck an oncoming car carrying Martin, 74, and his wife, Jane Martin, 73, of St. Albans, police said.

They were both extricated from their 2009 Kia Sedona and taken to Northwestern Medical Center in St. Albans.

Medical staff stabilized Omer Martin and later transferred him to the Burlington hospital. He likely received a broken back, a lacerated spleen and multiple fractures, Chief Taylor has said.

Martin initially was in serious conditions but was upgraded to fair by the afternoon following the crash, officials said. It was unclear when he had a possible setback.

Jane Martin was treated for a broken hand and later released, Taylor said.

Werner refused medical attention at the scene after she was extricated with minor injuries, police said. After police processed her for suspected DUI, Werner was released to off-duty Burlington Police Officer Jessica Norris, authorities said.

St. Albans Officer Keith Cote, the lead investigator has been working with the Vermont State Police Accident Reconstruction Team.

Both demolished vehicles were towed to the state police barracks for examination.

Taylor said investigators filed for search warrants from a judge to check Werner's car and her cellphone. A vehicle search would allow investigators to check sensors to determine the speed of Werner's car at the time of the crash.

Contact Mike Donoghue at 660-1845 or mdonoghue@freepressmedia.com. Follow Mike at Twitter at www.twitter.com/FreepsMikeD.