Free Darkness the Color of Snow by Thomas Cobb Page B

radar. I pursued vehicle and stopped approximately half a mile from spot of first sighting. The driver was Matthew Laferiere, age 21. There were three passengers, Paul Stablein, age 22, Robert Cabella, age 21, and Samuel Colvington, age 17. I observed a strong smell of alcohol, and located a nearly empty 30 can case of Natural Light beer in the backseat. I also detected the presence of marijuana by smell.
    I ordered the passengers out of the vehicle and they complied. I ordered the driver, Matthew Laferiere, out of the vehicle and he did not respond. He appeared to be intoxicated. I ordered him out a second time, and he pushed the driver side door open, striking me on my right side and knocking me to the ground. I got up and ordered him to place his hands on top of the vehicle and notified him that I was placing him under arrest for Driving Under the Influence. I placed a handcuff on his right wrist and pulled his right arm down, behind his back, and attempted to place the other cuff on his left wrist. He resisted and there was a short struggle. Mr. Lafe­riere slipped on a patch of ice, stumbled, and fell out onto Route 417. A west bound vehicle, white in color, a sedan, came over the rise at high speed and struck Mr. Laferiere and knocked him into the parked Jeep Cherokee. The white vehicle spun, slowed, then continued westward on Route 417 at great speed. I recorded only a partial license plate number J 6 New York.
    Mr. Laferiere was observed to have sustained acute head trauma and was unresponsive. I immediately called for backup and an ambulance. He was deceased before the ambulance arrived and pronounced dead at the scene.
    Actions Taken
    I immediately called for backup and an ambulance. He was deceased before the ambulance arrived. The three passengers in the Jeep Cherokee were Breathalyzed and released into the custody of their parents. All three were over the legal limit.
    Summary
    Matthew Laferiere was struck and killed by a hit and run driver at approximately 24:30 on Route 417 at mile marker . . .
    He looks over to Pete. “What was the mile marker?”
    Pete did not even look up. “Three eighty-­one.”
    Mile marker 381. Mr. Laferiere was struggling with arresting officer before stumbling and falling into road and being struck. Hit and run vehicle continued traveling west bound on Route 417.
    Ronny sits back, looks over what he’s written, and calls Pete over to look at it. “Anything else I need to put in?”
    Pete scrolls the screen up and reads over it. “I don’t think so. We have the Breathalyzer results to back up the observation of intoxication on the other three, and we’ll be getting a tox report on Laferiere. Save it and send it to Gordy. Let him look it over before you go.”
    â€œShould I put the Breathalyzer results in?”
    â€œYeah, that’s a good idea. Hang on a sec. OK. Here they are. Robert Cabella, .11, Samuel Colvington, .14, Paul Stablein .093. All legally over the limit. Put that in that paragraph, or better yet just type it at the bottom of the report as an addendum.”
    Ronny does that then checks over the report. He puts in a comma, then takes it back out. He reads it over until Pete tells him to stop. He prints it out, and starts to read again, then hands it to Pete who is now standing at his back with his hand out.
    â€œAnything else I need to do today?”
    Pete shakes his head. “Hang around for a bit until Gordy says you can go. Then you’re back on your own.”
    Ronny nods.
    â€œIt ain’t no fun being on suspension, is it? Everybody hears ‘five days off,’ and it sounds good to them, but it’s a bitch.”
    â€œYesterday was all right. I’ve just got to get through with today, tomorrow, the next day, and the next day.”
    â€œStretches out before you like a bad cold, doesn’t it? Well, like a bad cold, it goes away, too. This time next week, you’ll barely remember