NORTH HERO, Vt. (WCAX) – It was an emotional afternoon in court Thursday as a Grand Isle man took a plea deal for his role in a deadly crash last year.
Prosecutors say Christopher Pugh was headed west on Route 2 in July 2023 when he went off the road and hit a truck stopped at a stop sign on Clay Point Road. Thirty-three-year-old Nicholas Ringuette, a father of two, was in the truck and died.
According to court paperwork, Pugh told police he blacked out. He also said he was taking a mixture of antidepressants and blood pressure medication at the time, didn’t eat breakfast, and smoked a small amount of marijuana that morning.
The family and loved ones of Nicholas Ringuette spoke in court Thursday as Pugh apologized and agreed to plead guilty to a reduced charge. “An unforgivable act stole my amazing, caring, and selfless husband, my best friend, my high school sweetheart, my soulmate. It is such a tragic and profound loss that hot summer evening. You left our children fatherless and slapped a widow title across my back,” Nicholas’ wife, Ashley, told the court.
Pugh was originally charged with grossly negligent operation resulting in death but the charges were reduced to just negligent operation. Prosecutors say the agreement was based on the evidence they had. He will serve no jail time but is required to serve four years of probation and 100 hours of community service.