On Thursday, May 28th, 2026, at approximately 8:30 p.m. Sr. Trooper Josh Richards was notified by Calhoun County Dispatch of a report of a vehicle that was reported traveling at a high rate of speed headed towards Grantsville. Trooper Richards was advised that the vehicle was a silver in color Toyota 4Runner with a temporary tag on the back. Shortly after the Trooper observed the vehicle exiting the intersection near the court house of Court Street and Main Street headed Westbound and caught up with the Toyota 4 Runner on the bridge heading south on South Calhoun Highway. This Trooper observed and confirmed the vehicle was going above the posted speed limit of 25MPH going 31 MPH according to his Mounted Doppler Radar. He initiated overhead emergency lights to signal the operator to stop the vehicle which came to rest across from the Grantsville Volunteer Fire Department.
Trooper Richards made contact with the driver of the vehicle who was identified as Jessica Lynn Carpenter, noticing an err of confusion from her. The Trooper asked if she had used any illegal substances that day and she advised that what she used was legal, but she had been using a THC Pen all day that you can buy from a gas station. When the Trooper was having Ms Carpenter hand him the THC Pens, DNR SGT. C.R. Stephens located an
open container of alcoholic Beer on the passenger side near the center console of the vehicle.
Ms. Carpenter was asked to step out of the vehicle and perform field Sobriety Tests and additional ARIDE tests. At the conclusion of these tests, Trooper Richards found that Ms. Carpenter was in fact impaired. She was placed into custody for DUI – Impaired State, Open container, and speeding followed by her transport to the WVSP Grantsville Detachment where she was presented with a Blood Draw Waiver. Ms. Carpenter refused sign the blood draw waiver. Trooper Richards then typed and presented a search warrant for the blood of Ms. Carpenter to determine it’s contents which was signed by Calhoun County Magistrate Lora Davis. Trooper Richards subsequently transported Ms. Carpenter to Minnie Hamilton Health Systems where a CDDP Blood draw was conducted when was followed by her transport to the WVSP Grantsville Detachment to be processed and Fingerprinted, and then subsequently to Central Regional Jail in Flatwoods, WV to await arraignment by a
Calhoun County Magistrate in case 26-M07M-00086.
