UPSHUR COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A Maryland man is facing charges after deputies found him slumped over the steering wheel of a van at an Upshur County intersection Tuesday afternoon.
According to the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office, Upshur County 911 received a report at approximately 3:50 p.m. on July 28 of an individual slumped over the steering wheel of a white Chevrolet Express van at the intersection of U.S. Route 33 and Kesling Mill Road.
Sheriff Mike Coffman and Sgt. Newbrough responded to the scene and found the driver slumped over the steering wheel with the vehicle still in drive. Deputies secured the vehicle by placing it in park before safely removing the driver.
During the investigation, deputies said they detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. The driver was identified as Matthew Lee Gray, 35, of Hagerstown, Maryland.
Gray was arrested and charged with driving under the influence and possession of a controlled substance. He was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital for a court-authorized blood draw before being taken to the Tygart Valley Regional Jail, where he was processed.
The Upshur County Sheriff’s Office reminded motorists that impaired driving, whether caused by alcohol or drugs, places everyone on the road at risk and urged drivers not to get behind the wheel after consuming impairing substances.
