WYOMING COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A 34-year-old Wyoming County man is facing multiple misdemeanor charges after deputies say he crashed into a power pole while driving under the influence of a controlled substance.
According to criminal complaints filed in Wyoming County Magistrate Court, Cody Roscoe Clower is charged with driving under the influence of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and destruction of property.
The complaints state that Corporal Zach Cook of the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Department responded to a motor vehicle crash at about 8:16 p.m. on June 17. When the deputy arrived, he spoke with Clower, who initially said another person had been driving the vehicle before later admitting that he had been behind the wheel and swerved into a power pole.
According to the complaint, the crash also damaged residential yard fencing in addition to the power pole.
The deputy wrote that Clower’s speech was delayed and that he showed signs of impairment. A property owner reportedly told the deputy they witnessed the crash and saw Clower get out of the driver’s seat while a female passenger remained in the passenger seat.
The complaint states that Clower admitted to smoking marijuana earlier in the day and taking gabapentin before driving.
During field sobriety testing, deputies allege Clower was unable to follow instructions during the horizontal gaze nystagmus test, failed to properly complete the walk-and-turn test and swayed heavily during the one-leg stand test before ending it early.
According to the complaint, deputies also found a blue container holding approximately 21½ white oval pills stamped “G-13.” Investigators allege Clower said the pills were what he had taken before driving and acknowledged he did not have a valid prescription. The complaint states the pills were identified as gabapentin.
Deputies took Clower into custody on charges of driving while in an impaired state and possession of a controlled substance. The complaint states he consented to a blood draw at Welch Community Hospital, and the sample was sent to the West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory for testing.
As with all criminal cases, Clower is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
