Janet Schwarz, a Safety and Security Officer at the College for 11 years, died yesterday morning at the age of 57 in a car accident caused by a medical emergency while she was driving.
Sergeant Lenny Roberts of the Hartford, Vt. police said a 57-year-old woman driving on Route 5 North left the highway and crashed her automobile near Maplewood Terrace West in Vt., at approximately 9:40 a.m. yesterday.
Roberts would not confirm that the deceased woman was Sgt. Schwarz, saying the police had not informed the deceased's family.
Confirmation of Schwarz's death came from College Proctor Bob McEwen, who is the chief of Safety and Security. McEwen said he did not know the cause of Schwarz's death.
The woman crashed her vehicle after suffering a medical emergency behind the wheel, Roberts said. After the crash, paramedics performed life-saving techniques, and the woman was taken to the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, where she passed away.
Schwarz came to the College in 1977 as a custodian.
In 1983, Schwarz left Buildings and Grounds and joined campus police as a patrol officer, McEwen said.
Schwarz was promoted to sergeant in 1985. As sergeant, she worked the "swing shift," from 4:00 p.m. to midnight, McEwen said.
Schwarz also selected and trained the students to enforce the College's alcohol policy.
"Jan was the type of person who never walked away from responsibility or duties," McEwen said. "She dealt with them with intelligence. She had a great sense of humor, and I loved her for that."
Schwarz was very popular and well-known among the student body, McEwen said
"She was always willing to listen to students and their problems," he said. "She spent many hours with students. Jan will be sorely missed by the College and her department for the way that she went about things."
The Windsor County State's Attorney said the incident did not constitute a traffic accident, Roberts said. A final investigation is pending, as results from additional examinations are still being collected.
Schwarz, who was a widow, is survived by her eight children.
