WYOMING COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A Wyoming County man with multiple prior DUI convictions was arrested late Sunday night after deputies say they found him unconscious behind the wheel of a running pickup truck while holding a hypodermic needle, with suspected methamphetamine later discovered in a holding cell.
According to the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Department, deputies were dispatched at approximately 11:09 p.m. on July 27, 2026, to 7866 R.D. Bailey Highway in Brenton following a report of a suspicious vehicle.
The caller reported that a man inside a Chevrolet Colorado appeared to be passed out behind the steering wheel. Although the caller was able to wake him, they told dispatch he quickly nodded off again while still seated in the driver’s seat.
When Corporal M.T. Perry arrived, he found the pickup truck parked with its engine running and headlights illuminated. As he approached, he observed the driver, later identified as Jessie Parks, slumped over unconscious in the driver’s seat while holding a hypodermic needle in his hand.
After waking Parks, the deputy reportedly observed constricted pupils and droopy eyelids. According to the complaint, Parks admitted he had used illegal narcotics earlier that day.
Deputies then administered a series of standardized field sobriety tests. During the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test, Parks allegedly displayed multiple indicators of impairment. During the Walk-and-Turn test, deputies said he repeatedly attempted to begin before being instructed, was unsteady on his feet, shook while walking, missed several heel-to-toe steps, made an improper turn, and failed to walk in a straight line.
During the One-Leg Stand test, Parks allegedly hopped to maintain his balance, put his foot down several times, and stopped the test after about 15 seconds, stating he could not complete it.
Parks was arrested and taken to the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Department before being transported to Raleigh General Hospital for a blood draw.
While Parks was at the hospital, another deputy reportedly discovered a pill bottle containing a white powdery substance believed to be methamphetamine beside the toilet in the department’s holding cell.
According to the complaint, Corporal Perry had personally cleaned the holding cell just hours before responding to the call and stated there was no contraband present at that time. He also noted that no other individuals had been housed in the holding cell during that period.
Authorities said Parks’ West Virginia driver’s license was already revoked for DUI. Court records also showed he had two previous DUI convictions, dating back to 2017 and 2022, along with two prior convictions for driving while revoked for DUI.
The white powder recovered from the pill bottle will be submitted to the West Virginia State Police Crime Laboratory for testing to determine its identity.
The investigation remains ongoing, and additional charges may be considered pending the results of laboratory analysis.
