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December 15, 2009

Teen pleads not guilty for triple-fatal crash

By ANDREA VanVALKENBURG

PLATTSBURGH — A teen has pleaded not guilty to charges for allegedly causing a crash that killed his two friends and one of their mothers.

In early February, emergency personnel were called to a stretch of Route 11 after a Ford Mustang veered off the road and flipped several times, ejecting five people from the car.

The accident claimed the lives of Ellenburg Center residents Veronica L. LeClair, 38; her son, Stephen M. Foster, 15; and her stepson, Travis L. LeClair, 15; and left two Altona teens, Kyle C. Bushey, 18, and Joshua Bombardier, 19, injured.

Authorities initially believed Mrs. LeClair had been driving her car, but they said they later learned that Bombardier was the driver and not a passenger as previously thought.

In October, a Clinton County grand jury indicted the former Northern Adirondack Central School student on a number of charges relating to the crash.

State Police have said that Bombardier was driving recklessly and under the influence of alcohol when the accident happened.

Late last week, Bombardier, who was recently living in West Chazy, turned himself in to the Clinton County Sheriff’s Department, where he had been wanted on an outstanding warrant on the indictment.

This week, he appeared in Clinton County Court and pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated vehicular homicide, three counts of second-degree vehicular manslaughter, three counts of second-degree manslaughter and three counts of criminally negligent homicide.

He entered the same plea on charges of second-degree vehicular assault, third-degree assault, second-degree reckless endangerment, driving while under the influence of alcohol and reckless driving.

After his arraignment Monday morning, Bombardier was sent to Clinton County Jail without bail, Assistant District Attorney Timothy Blatchley said Tuesday.

He is due back in court Friday when he will reappear before Judge Patrick McGill with his attorney Tina Soloski, who was court appointed.

Authorities have not released any further details of their investigation, and it was unclear Tuesday how Bombardier was determined to be the alleged driver.



E-mail Andrea VanValkenburg at:

avanvalkenburg@pressrepublican.com

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