Vermont driver is charged with aggravated murder in fatal crash that killed a police officer

By LISA RATHKE
Associated Press

A Vermont man accused of killing a 19-year-old police officer in a head-on crash during a pursuit in Rutland last summer has pleaded not guilty to a new elevated charge of aggravated murder. Tate Rheaume was ordered held without bail Tuesday pending an evidence hearing. Rutland City Police Officer Jessica Ebbighausen, who wasn’t wearing a seatbelt and was thrown from the cruiser, was pronounced dead at the scene on July 7, 2023. The Rutland County state’s attorney says Rheaume was driving at high speeds and moving in and out of traffic just before the crash. He says Rheaume drove into oncoming traffic and hit two fully marked police cruisers that had their lights illuminated.