FAYETTEVILLE, WV (WOAY) – A Charleston attorney and Fayetteville resident is facing multiple misdemeanor charges in connection with an accident that caused a partial collapse and fire at a house on Gatewood Rd on Christmas Eve.
Wesley Queen has been charged with one count of driving under the influence; one count of reckless driving; one count of unlawful removal, injury, or destruction of property; failure to maintain control, and one count of expired motor vehicle registration.
Magistrate court records indicate that Queen appeared in Magistrate Court today. He was released on a $1,500 cash bond.
A misdemeanor complaint obtained by Newswatch lays out new details about the accident and subsequent investigation.
Fayette County 911 received a call at around 10:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve. A homeowner, Jodie Gray, said that a truck had hit her house and caused a partial collapse and fire. She said the driver of the truck was lying on the ground.
Deputies responded to the scene. When they got there, they said they found the truck fully engulfed in flames. EMS and fire units were already on scene and fighting the fire.
Deputies said they found tire tracks leading from the road to the house, a utility pole that was split in half and fully uprooted, a large broken tree limb, a bag of trash, an empty beer can, and scattered pieces of the vehicle.
According to the complaint, EMS personnel on scene told deputies that Queen was acting in a way “consistent with possible impairment of an unknown substance that could compromise the defendant’s ability to operate a motor vehicle.”
Several days later, deputies served a search warrant for records at Charleston Area Medical Center’s records building. According to the complaint, they were unable to find a toxicology report or blood work, but there was documentation that showed Queen had admitted to drinking and taking Ativan before driving.
Deputies then subpoenaed medical staff to verify that those records were correct.
The vehicle’s crash data recorder had been destroyed in the crash. However, another person had called 911 on Christmas Eve to report an erratic driver at around 7 p.m.
The complaint says deputies spoke with the caller, who told them he saw a truck matching the description of Queen’s vehicle repeatedly drifting and crossing the center line between the Glen Jean/Route 19 intersection and Hinkle Road in Fayetteville.
Based on the investigation and consultation with Fayette County Prosecuting Attorney Anthony Ciliberti, Deputy Sheriff M.E. Whittington charged Queen.
Fayette County Sheriff Jess McMullen praised the work of his deputies.
“Driving under the influence remains one of the most dangerous and preventable threats on our roadways. When someone chooses to get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol or mixing alcohol with prescription medication, they are putting innocent people at risk. In this case, a family’s home was struck and could have easily resulted in serious injuries or loss of life.”Sheriff McMullen said. “I also want to commend the deputies involved in this investigation for their thorough and dedicated work. Real police work is not like what people see on television. It often takes time to gather records, execute search warrants, interview witnesses, and carefully piece together the facts before charges can be filed.”
Newswatch previously spoke with the owner of the house that Queen allegedly hit. You can view that story here.
