According to a criminal complaint, on October 26th, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. Trooper J. D. Richards and Cpl. D.C. Moore of the West Virginia State Police Grantsville Detachment were notified by Calhoun dispatch of an abandoned vehicle that had been wrecked in the 9000 block of Nicut Road in Rosedale, Calhoun.
Cpl. Moore arrived on scene and notified Trooper Richards that the vehicle was a silver 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee hauling a trailer. There was still no sign of either the passenger or the driver, but individuals on scene said that the occupants left toward Mountain Run Road. The vehicle had swerved across the roadway striking a mailbox and a tree, coming to a rest against the tree. The operator failed to advise the owner of the property that he had damaged his property, and also failed to make a report to law enforcement at the soonest chance he had.
Trooper Richards began to patrol Mountain Run Road and encountered an individual walking who identified himself as James A. Woods, age 49. Trooper Richards asked him if he had been involved in a motor vehicle accident to which Mr. Woods responded that he was the driver. Trooper Richards observed that there appeared to be evidence of substantial impairment (blood shot eyes, stammering of his feet as he attempted to walk, fast speech, sweating even in cool temperatures and no shirt, wearing only a jacket, and the inability to keep still). He was unable and borderline refusing to complete a Standardized Field Sobriety Test. In addition Trooper Richards heard Mr. Woods utter details about having smoked Methamphetamine and marijuana approximately 2 hours before driving. He believed it wouldn’t effect his driving.
After being placed under arrest, Cpl. Moore was clearing out the defendants pockets for officer safety, and located a small piece of aluminum foil, which the defendant said he didn’t know where it had come from, shortly after advising that it contained methamphetamine, and that it was his. Trooper Richards took James A. Woods into custody for processing at the Grantsville detachment and a blood draw at Minnie Hamilton. Trooper Richards and Cpl. Moore also discovered through their investigation that Mr. Woods license was suspended with an effective date of July 22, 2022. He was then also placed under arrest for not only DUI but also driving suspended, Possession of a Controlled Substance and leaving the scene of an accident.
He is currently in the WV Central Regional jail with a bond set at $20,000.
Also dispatched to the accident scene was the Upper West Fork Volunteer Fire Department and Station 500 Minnie Hamilton Ambulance.
Photos by Jason Perkins
