Man dumps friend in a ravine after crashing into him ‘doing donuts,’ Vermont cops say
.jpg "A man accused of dumping his friend in a ravine after hitting him with his car is charged with attempted murder and DUI, Vermont police say.")
A man dumped his friend in a ravine after crashing into him while “doing donuts” in his car, according to Vermont state police.
However, he switched course after nearly abandoning the 19-year-old friend, who was still alive, when his truck got stuck in the mud and prevented him from driving away on May 11, police said in a news release. The man then went back, carried his friend out of the ravine and called for help.
Parker Clark, 20, of Craftsbury, pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree attempted murder, driving under the influence and grossly negligent operation with serious bodily injury resulting on May 12, state police said.
“He was ordered detained without bail” that same day after appearing in court, the news release said. His injured friend was in “critical condition” at a hospital as of May 12, the news release said.
“My understanding is that he remains in the hospital,” state police spokesman Adam Silverman told McClatchy News in a statement on May 13, referring to the hospital for further updates on his condition. The hospital confirmed “he is still in critical condition,” in a statement as of 5 p.m. ET on May 13.
“The defendant, instead of seeking medical care, drove several miles to a field and discarded the victim like he was a piece of garbage,” Orleans County State’s Attorney Jennifer Barrett told a judge during Clark’s court appearance, NBC5 reported.
An investigation revealed that after Clark struck his friend with his truck in a parking lot, he “loaded (the victim) ... into his truck where he drove him to a remote farm,” state police said in the news release.
Then, Clark “drove across a cornfield to the woods line, dragged/carried (the victim) ... over a small ravine and down into a slow-moving creek” before getting back in his truck and trying to leave.
After Clark retrieved his friend from the ravine, he made his way to a farm where he sought help, police said.
When police spoke with Clark he was “found to show signs and indicators of impairment and was suspected to be under the influence of alcohol,” according to the news release.
McClatchy News contacted state police for an update on the friend’s condition.
This story was originally published May 13, 2022 at 1:20 PM with the headline "Man dumps friend in a ravine after crashing into him ‘doing donuts,’ Vermont cops say."
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