Paul Pelletier,Delilah Van Ness Obituary, Death; – Four residents from Connecticut tragically lost their lives in a plane crash in Vermont over the weekend, including a 15-year-old girl from Middletown who was receiving flying lessons from one of her instructors, according to authorities.
The Vermont State Police have identified the deceased as 55-year-old Paul Pelletier from Columbia; 88-year-old Frank Rodriguez from Lebanon; and 51-year-old Susan Van Ness along with her 15-year-old daughter, Delilah Van Ness, both hailing from Middletown.
According to Middletown police, Delilah was a sophomore at Middletown High School and was taking flying lessons with Pelletier, who served as the school’s aviation technology teacher. Rodriguez accompanied them on this trip.
The superintendent of schools in Middletown announced that Middletown High School will be closed on Tuesday, September 10. Additionally, all athletic competitions scheduled for that day will be postponed, while athletic practices will be optional. Crisis teams will be available at the high school during regular hours to offer support, counseling, and assistance to students and staff.
All four individuals aboard the aircraft were discovered deceased among the wreckage following the crash in western Vermont early Monday morning.
Dr. Alberto Vázquez Matos, superintendent of Middletown Public Schools, expressed in a statement, “This unimaginable loss has left a void in our hearts and our community. Paul, Delilah, and Susan were remarkable individuals whose absence is already being felt throughout our district and city.”
Middletown police extended their deepest condolences to the families, friends, and students impacted by this tragedy. Vermont state police reported that their preliminary investigation revealed that a four-seat, single-engine Piper aircraft departed Windham Airport in Connecticut around 8:30 a.m. on Sunday for a nearly two-hour journey to Basin Harbor Airport in Ferrisburgh, Vermont.
The privately owned plane successfully landed, and the occupants arrived for brunch reservations at Basin Harbor, a resort located on Lake Champlain. They left the restaurant shortly thereafter.
