Witness: Freeh forced 3 drivers off road before wreck

©2014 Burlington Free Press

An out-of-control SUV driven by former FBI Director Louis Freeh almost struck head-on three motorists, who were forced to take evasive action to avoid crashing in southern Vermont, according to one of the drivers.

The driver, Van Coleman, gave a written statement to a Windsor County deputy sheriff, who was the first police officer on the scene of the Aug. 25 crash of Freeh's vehicle. Deputy Sheriff Justin Hoyt said he gave the eyewitness report to state police.

A motorcyclist and two cars needed to swerve into the left lane when Freeh's vehicle crossed the center line on Vermont 12 in Barnard and headed at the trio at a high rate of speed, Coleman told the Burlington Free Press.

Freeh "was doing about 60 to 65 miles per hour and was on the left side of the road," Coleman said. The speed limit was 50 mph.

Coleman said the northbound motorcyclist, who was first in line, moved to the left to avoid the SUV coming in the wrong lane. Another car also swerved left before Coleman followed suit in his Honda, he said.

Freeh eventually drove off the road, struck a tree and was left with serious injuries.

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The three Vermont State Police news releases from spokeswoman Stephanie Dasaro about the crash never mentioned the former chief federal law enforcement officer almost struck three motor vehicles.

"I did not have that level of detail about the incident to include in the press release," Dasaro said Tuesday.

Public Safety Commissioner Keith Flynn said state police leaders never told him about the close calls before the 12:15 p.m. crash.

"This is the first I have heard about that," Flynn said when reached Tuesday in Michigan, where he is attending a conference. He said he would ask for an explanation.

State police were criticized for trying to keep the crash under wraps for 24 hours. A video crew for Fox44/ABC 22 in Colchester and a photographer from a local weekly newspaper in Woodstock were at the scene, but they were told a news release would be issued the following day.

Instead, FBI sources in Washington told NBC News that Freeh had been in a Vermont crash. The Vermont State Police issued a news release more than eight hours after the wreck and only after multiple calls by local and national media.

State police have theorized that Freeh fell asleep.

"His head was down, so I thought he had fallen asleep," Coleman, the witness, said as he reflected on what he saw before Freeh crashed.

"I think he was totally out. He made no attempt to stop," said Coleman, who spoke initially to the News & Citizen newspaper, a weekly in Morristown.

Freeh, 64, of Wilmington, Del., has not responded to a Burlington Free Press request for an interview.

State police say Freeh claims he has no recollection of crashing in Barnard, where he and his wife, Marilyn, have a vacation home.

Coleman said he didn't recognize Freeh, but said the Delaware license plate had an indication that the vehicle was related to law enforcement.

The SUV hit a mailbox, some shrubs and slammed into an old maple tree, Coleman said. He said he went to the SUV to help.

"It was quite intense. It was pretty well smashed in the front," Coleman said. "I was the first one to him."

Coleman said he was unable to free Freeh, who was wearing a seat belt, from the wreckage. Freeh was unable to move, Coleman said, and had sustained serious injuries to his legs, which were wedged under the steering section.

"He had a head wound on his left temple," Coleman said. "He did finally begin to moan."

Coleman said because of the way Freeh was jammed into the demolished vehicle, he was unable to see the lower half of Freeh's body.

Coleman said there was no cellphone service in the area. He drove to a house down the road and asked a woman to call 911.

He said the Windsor County deputy sheriff was the first police officer to arrive at the scene, and later White River Valley Ambulance arrived.

Coleman estimated that Freeh was in the crushed SUV for about an hour. He said the Barnard Volunteer Fire Department and Barnard First Response had to cut the roof off the SUV to help extricate Freeh from the vehicle.

Rescue workers then wheeled Freeh to a waiting helicopter that landed on Vermont 12. He was airlifted to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H., where he was admitted under armed guard.

The hospital has declined to comment on Freeh or say whether he remains there.

Hoyt, the veteran sheriff's deputy, was on duty in Windsor County and was headed to Barnard for a patrol. Hoyt confirmed that Coleman was among those to witness the crash.

Hoyt told the Burlington Free Press that he was on Vermont 12 when he saw on his police cruiser computer that there was a crash and that state troopers were responding. He said a minute later he came across the scene.

Hoyt confirmed Coleman wrote out a statement about the crash. The deputy said he gave Coleman's statement to investigating State Trooper Mark Harvey after state police arrived.

Attempts to reach Harvey on Tuesday were unsuccessful.

Capt. Ray Keefe, commander of the state police in southeastern Vermont, was in Massachusetts on Tuesday and would check the police report when he returns to Vermont.

State police have said previously that they would seek no charges against Freeh and would not issue him a traffic ticket. The plan was to issue a written warning.

State police said they believe drugs and alcohol played no role in the crash, but troopers noted they had no information to request a blood test.

The FBI in Washington has been mum since the crash. The bureau issued a one-sentence statement from the current director, James Comey, saying "the thoughts and prayers of the entire FBI" were with Freeh and his family.

The FBI in Washington has said FBI in Boston is handling media inquiries, but that office has said it will provide no further comment or information.

"We do not have anything to add," said Special Agent Greg Comcowich, the office's media coordinator.

Freeh, a former federal judge in New York, served as the FBI director from 1993 to 2001. He founded Freeh Group International Solutions, a consulting group with offices in Washington, D.C., Wilmington, Del., and New York City, but they are not answering phones or returning messages.

Free also is known for authoring a report critical of Penn State University's handling of the sex-abuse case involving football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.

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