Staff Writer

and KATELYN MOCKRY

PLATTSBURGH -- A former Plattsburgh man was killed in Vermont Thursday evening when his motorcycle collided head-on with a truck.

Jere Brown, 40, who lived in the Plattsburgh area from 2002 to 2007, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident in the town of Guildhall, Vt., located in the Northeast Kingdom near the New Hampshire border.

Brown had been visiting friends in Plattsburgh earlier in the week and was driving through Vermont on his way home to Milan, N.H. Thursday night.

He was traveling north on Vermont 102 when Vermont State Police say he lost control of his motorcycle trying to negotiate a sharp curve. He slid on the pavement into the other lane and collided with a pickup truck heading south and driven by Marcus Smith, 26, of Woodsville, N.H.

Smith took evasive action, but was unable to avoid a collision.

No one else was injured.

Police say speed appears to have been a factor and are investigating the accident.

Vermont 102 was closed for more than two hours.

Brown was the owner of Git-R-Done Construction located in Plattsburgh. He would travel to the area twice a week to operate the company with his former fiance, Brenda Rabideau, and her son, Kevin Burdo, of Plattsburgh.

Rabideau, who remained close friends with Brown after their relationship ended, said he was a dedicated and thoughtful person.

"He was kind and caring. If I asked him to come here at 2 a.m. because we needed something, he would come here no matter what. That's just the kind of person he was; he would do anything for anybody."

Rabideau, who will now take over ownership of the construction company, said Brown was particularly close to her children: son Kevin; daughters Ashley and Chelsea Burdo; and step-daughter Heather Rabideau.

"We were all one big family. The kids were always close with him."