Colchester police have not identified who drove the rig onto the ice the morning of Feb. 8. Lt. Douglas Allen said the department might charge the owner for allowing the unregistered vehicle access to Lake Champlain -- legally defined as a public highway when it freezes over.
Cpl. Roger Fisher, who kept tabs on the team of men struggling with cribbing timbers and chains Wednesday, said the SUV's pitching and yawing had remained otherwise within the bounds of the law. It leaked no pollutants into the lake; it didn't impede the flow of traffic or navigation.
"If it's on the ice, it's legal," Fisher said. "Once it falls through, it's illegal."
Either way, he pointed out, it's the owner's responsibility to get the vehicle back to shore
