MAXWELTON, West Virginia — A South Carolina man was arrested late Wednesday night for allegedly driving through an active accident scene on U.S. Route 219 in Greenbrier County while under the influence of alcohol, according to police.
According to a criminal complaint filed by West Virginia State Police, troopers were assisting the Greenbrier County Sheriff’s Office with a motor vehicle accident near Maxwelton at 11 p.m. when a white pickup truck sped through the southbound lane of the closed road.
Emergency personnel, including law enforcement officers and firefighters, were on the scene, with several cruisers and firetrucks blocking traffic in both directions. While one lane remained partially open to accommodate emergency vehicles and wreckers, the area was clearly marked and occupied.
A trooper on the scene was downloading photographs from the accident when he overheard officers and firefighters shouting for a vehicle to stop. A white pickup truck approached the crash site quickly, prompting first responders to move aside. Before colliding with a roadside door, the vehicle drove past several police cars and a firetruck.
Authorities quickly stopped the vehicle and identified the driver as David M. Figueroa from South Carolina. According to troopers, Figueroa admitted to drinking three beers and exhibited signs of impairment, including an odor of alcohol on his breath.
He allegedly failed multiple field sobriety tests and a preliminary breath test at the scene yielded a blood alcohol content of 0.210, which is more than two and a half times the legal limit.
Figueroa was arrested and taken to the Greenbrier County Sheriff’s Department, where he agreed to additional chemical testing.
According to police, he had blood alcohol levels of 0.181 and 0.196 during two breath tests taken after 1 a.m. He is expected to face multiple charges, including DUI and reckless driving through a closed emergency scene. Formal charges will be brought in Greenbrier County Magistrate Court.
There were no injuries reported in the incident, but police emphasized the danger to emergency responders and others on the scene.
Figueroa is currently in Southern Regional Jail, with a bail of $3,000.
