Snowy morning crash blocks Rt. 103N in Chester Car-tractor trailer collision sends two to hospital

By Shawn Cunningham
© 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC

Tuesday’s snow storm was four hours old when it caused a two-vehicle crash that shut down Route 103 north in Chester into mid-afternoon. Both drivers suffered injuries and were transported to Springfield Hospital. There were no passengers in either vehicle.

At just before 11 a.m. Chester Police were called to 1300 Rt. 103 for a collision. The accident — between a 2021 Toyota Rav 4 and a tractor-trailer — happened about 500 feet south of the Wyman’s Falls Road intersection, according to Sgt. Noah Rheaume of the Chester Police Department.

Rheaume told The Telegraph that the southbound truck — registered to carry up to 80,000 pounds — was “lightly loaded” with about 10,000 pounds of empty wooden and cardboard reels. As it  began to fishtail on the accumulating snow, the driver lost control, crossed into the northbound lane and collided head-on with the Toyota, driven by a Vermont woman. Rheaume said the car was hit mainly on the driver’s side.

“I don’t think he (the truck driver) was even going very fast,” said Rheaume. “But once the trailer got going, he lost it.”

The woman driving the Toyota had to be extricated from the smashed car and complained of leg and internal pain. The truck driver – a man from Massachusetts – also complained of internal pain and both were taken by ambulance to Springfield Hospital.

In addition to Chester Police, firefighters from Chester and Proctorsville responded along with Chester and Springfield ambulances and Vermont DMV enforcement. Reed towing is removing the wreckage.

As of 1 p.m., police and fire personnel were still on scene waiting for the equipment to remove the two vehicles to clear the road. The road reopened to traffic at 3:18 p.m.

A bit of confusion was caused on social media when, shortly after the accident, a VT-511 Traffic Alert was sent out that said an accident had occurred farther north on 103 “between Cutoff Rd and Smokeshire Rd.” Four minutes later, a correction was sent that clarified that the accident actually had occurred “between Goodrich Rd and Trebo Rd.” Some thought that only one accident occurred — near the Proctorsville Gulf — while others said there were two separate accidents.

A quick check of the VT-511 map that pinpoints current accidents and road closures, confirmed that the Chester accident was the only one on that long stretch of Route 103 North.

Cynthia Prairie contributed to this article.