BRATTLEBORO, VT (MyKeeneNow)  A 77-year-old Putney woman who was critically injured in a sidewalk crash last month has died, potentially leading to upgraded charges against the driver already held without bail in the case.

Diane Clementine, a resident of Putney Meadows, succumbed to injuries sustained when she and a companion were struck by a car on Main Street outside the Putney Food Co-op on May 8. Her death may lead prosecutors to pursue a vehicular homicide charge against 23-year-old Jason Ball of Alstead, New Hampshire.

Ball has remained in custody since the day of the crash, when police said he veered off the road and hit both women while under the influence of heroin. He pleaded not guilty to two felony counts: driving under the influence of drugs resulting in serious injury and gross negligent operation. Windham Superior Court Judge John Treadwell last week upheld the no-bail order, calling Ball’s conduct “an act of violence.”

With the trial process already accelerated under Vermont’s rules for defendants held without bail, jury selection is scheduled for June 20. A trial could follow immediately after.

Windham County State’s Attorney Steven Brown declined to say Monday whether Clementine’s death would prompt new or amended charges. Legal analysts note that a death in connection with impaired or reckless driving typically leads to charges such as DUI resulting in death or vehicular homicide in Vermont.

Ball told officers he had taken heroin earlier that morning but claimed his foot slipped off the gas pedal. He also said he was delivering McDonald’s through DoorDash at the time, though police said no food was found in the vehicle. According to court documents, Ball had listed a residence in Alstead but was known to be living unhoused in Brattleboro.

The second pedestrian, 68-year-old Deborah Bozetarnik of Putney, suffered only minor injuries and was treated at the scene.

Clementine was flown by medical helicopter to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, Mass., with multiple life-threatening injuries. Authorities initially said she faced possible paralysis. She remained in critical condition for more than a week following the crash.

The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges are expected pending the results of a final medical examiner’s report.

Read earlier stories: