Vermont State Police cruiser

(Photo courtesy of Vermont State Police)

WILLISTON, Vt. - Vermont State Police have arrested the 36-year-old man accused of killing five teenagers and injuring five others while driving the wrong way on Interstate 89.

Police served an arrest warrant on Steven D. Bourgoin, of Williston, Tuesday charging him with reckless or gross negligent vehicle operation and operating a vehicle without owner consent after he allegedly slammed into a total of eight cars late Saturday night.

Bourgoin, who was seriously injured in the crashes, is being treated at the University of Vermont Health Center. The warrant was served to his hospital room and he was immediately placed in the custody of the Vermont Department of Corrections. His arraignment will be scheduled in the future, Vermont State Police said.

Bourgoin is being accused of driving northbound on the southbound lane of Interstate-89 at about 11:45 p.m. when he slammed into a 2004 Volkswagen Jetta, which burst into flames. All five teenagers inside the car were killed.

The students who died were identified as Mary Harris, 16, and Cyrus Zschau, 16, of Moretown, Janie Cozzi, 15, and Liam Hale, 16, of Fayston, and Eli Brookens, 16, of Waterbury, Vermont. They had all been students at Harwood Union High School, police said.

A Williston Police officer arrived shortly after the crash. He ran to the car, pulled one of the victims out and tried to put out the blaze with a fire extinguisher. While he was tending to the victims, Bourgoin allegedly took his cruiser and sped away.

When other police started following the stolen cruiser, Bourgoin allegedly turned around the car and started driving in the wrong direction again. He then struck seven other vehicles. In the final crash, he was thrown from the cruiser and it burst into flames, police said.

Police have been sorting through the accident reports and now say a total of 14 people, including residents of Vermont, Georgia and New York, were traveling in the seven cars. Five were brought to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

At least four of the cars Bourgoin is being accused of hitting, including the police cruiser, were totaled.

These crashes are still under investigation at this time and anyone with information is asked to call the State Police in Williston at 802-878-7111.