South Burlington police officer accused of DUI

An off-duty South Burlington police lieutenant was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol early Sunday morning after he crashed his car on Vermont 15.

Lt. Jeffrey Martel, 47, has been placed on paid administrative leave "until further notice" while both an internal investigation by his own department and a criminal investigation by the Colchester Police Department are conducted, said South Burlington Police Chief Trevor Whipple.

Colchester police said Martel of Colchester complied with an evidentiary breath test at 3:16 a.m., and he registered a 0.113 percent blood alcohol content.

Martel joined the South Burlington Police Department in 1997, and he currently serves as the Prevention Services Division Manager, Whipple said.

Whipple said he considers the charge a "serious allegation," but he declined further comment.

Two Colchester police officers, Chris Jones and Jesse Treier, responded to the single-vehicle crash at 2:29 a.m., said Sgt. Francis Gonyaw. The crash occurred across from the Fanny Allen campus of the University of Vermont Medical Center.

Responding officers found that a 2002 Honda Odyssey had struck a utility pole on the north side of the roadway, Colchester police said. Martel was uninjured in the crash, Colchester police said. Gonyaw said Martel's vehicle sustained significant front-end damage.

Colchester Rescue also responded to the scene.

Gonyaw said Martel was taken into custody by the two officers, processed and released after being issued a citation to appear in Vermont Superior Court in Burlington on April 9. He will answer to a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol, Colchester police said.

Gonyaw said investigation is ongoing, but he could not comment on whether more charges would be filed.

An attempt to reach Martel on Sunday afternoon was not immediately successful.

Westbound traffic along College Parkway was re-routed for several hours while the utility pole was repaired Sunday morning, Colchester police said.

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Contact Elizabeth Murray at 651-4835 or emurray@freepressmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/LizMurraySMC.