LEWISBURG, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A late-night traffic stop led to the arrest of an 18-year-old driver in Lewisburg after police discovered alcohol and underage passengers in his car.
According to Patrolman R.C. Johnson of the Lewisburg Police Department, the incident unfolded when he observed a white Ford Focus without functioning registration plate lights traveling north on Jefferson Street. After noticing the vehicle swerving within its lane, Officer Johnson initiated a traffic stop on the I-64 eastbound on-ramp.
The driver, identified as Austin Emry Harper, 18, admitted to being distracted and told the officer he was driving three 16-year-old girls around town. Upon speaking with Harper, Johnson noted the strong odor of alcohol coming from him. Although Harper initially denied drinking, he later admitted to consuming one Twisted Tea and revealed he had an open can and three unopened cans of the beverage in the vehicle.
Harper submitted to a roadside breath test, registering a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .046, and displayed signs of impairment during a field sobriety test. He was taken into custody at the scene.
The three juvenile passengers – identified only by their initials A.S., E.M., and J.E. – told police they were “just out driving around.” All three tested negative for alcohol. After repeated attempts to contact their parents, guardians were eventually reached. One girl was picked up by her father, another was taken to her parents’ home, and the third was released to her grandmother.
Harper was transported to the Lewisburg police office for processing, where he provided a secondary breath test reading of .038 BAC. He was then taken to Southern Regional Jail.
Harper now faces multiple charges, including:
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DUI with Minors under West Virginia Code 17C-5-2(k), due to having underage passengers in the car while impaired.
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Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor under 61-8D-10, for inviting minors out after curfew and exposing them to an unsafe situation.
The vehicle was removed from the scene by Discount Towing.
