Woman faces impaired driving charges in Sharon crash that killed son, injured others

WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — A 46-year-old Vermont mother has been charged with driving while intoxicated and crashing her SUV in an incident that claimed the life of her 11-year-old son and caused serious injuries to the vehicle’s other occupants on Interstate 89 in Sharon last year.

Dawn Baustert, of Essex, Vt., was charged with five criminal counts, including driving under the influence with death resulting, stemming from the Nov. 17, 2022, crash in which the Chevrolet Suburban she was driving drifted into rock ledges in the median from the southbound lane on Interstate 89 in Sharon, Vermont State Police said Monday.

“According to the findings of the investigation, the operator of the vehicle (Baustert) was intoxicated at the time of the crash,” state police said in a news release.

Baustert’s 11-year-old son, who was riding in the back seat of the Suburban, was declared dead at the scene, police reported at the time. Baustert herself and another 14-year-old rear passenger-side occupant received significant, non-life threatening injuries and Baustert’s husband, Timothy Baustert, who was the front passenger, received minor injuries, according to police.

Baustert was charged with driving under the influence with death resulting, driving under the influence with serious bodily injury resulting, grossly negligent operation with death resulting, grossly negligent operation with serious bodily injury resulting and reckless endangerment, according to Vermont State Police.

She is scheduled to be arraigned in Windsor County Superior Court in White River Junction at 8:30 a.m. May 23.

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