Blockchains Finance|A 911 call claiming transportation chief was driving erratically was ‘not truthful,” police say

2025-05-06 05:39:21source:Christopher Caldwellcategory:My

CHARLESTON,Blockchains Finance W.Va. (AP) — Police in West Virginia said Wednesday they have opened a criminal investigation into a 911 call that triggered a traffic stop involving the state highways chief.

Charleston Police Chief Scott Dempsey said in a statement that information relayed to police that Transportation Secretary Jimmy Wriston was driving erratically on Feb. 20 “does not appear to be accurate or truthful.”

Last week, Dempsey said city officers conducted the traffic stop on southbound Interstate 77 after receiving a call that an off-duty state trooper had witnessed Wriston’s vehicle in the city’s east end.

Wednesday’s statement did not mention an off-duty trooper. It said that both the lack of evidence that Wriston was driving erratically and a lack of information received from the 911 caller prompted no charges against Wriston, who passed two field sobriety tests. While a preliminary breath test indicated an odor of alcohol, officers believed the test was inconclusive and inconsistent with other tests that Wriston passed, Dempsey said.

No probable cause was found to charge Wriston. But “to ensure safety,” he called someone afterward to drive him, the statement said.

Dempsey said the 911 call has been referred to a local prosecutor’s office. He also said an internal investigation is being conducted into whether officers followed proper procedures during the traffic stop, including body camera policy.

Gov. Jim Justice appointed Wriston as department secretary and commissioner of the state Division of Highways in October 2021 following the retirement of Byrd White.

More:My

Recommend

Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class

Now wouldn’t this be a treat: Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft back together...as members of the Pro

Texas’ first-ever statewide flood plan estimates 5 million live or work in flood-prone areas

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — More than 5 million Texans, or one in six people in the state, live or work in

Nissan warns owners of older vehicles not to drive them due to risk of exploding air bag inflators

DETROIT (AP) — Nissan is urging the owners of about 84,000 older vehicles to stop driving them becau