Authorities charged a county commissioner with driving under the influence of alcohol over the weekend.
Ed Hawkins, president of the Monongalia County Commission, crashed his car into a guardrail on Sunday night, according to a criminal complaint filed in Monongalia Magistrate Court.
A Monongalia sheriff's deputy responded to the crash on Cheat Road, in the area near Tyrone Road and Cheat Lake.
The deputy smelled alcohol and noticed Hawkins' bloodshot eyes, according to the complaint.
Hawkins, the complaint states, said he drank two glasses of wine about an hour before the crash.
Authorities arrested Hawkins on charges of DUI and speeding. He then refused several breath tests after his arrest, according to the complaint.
Magistrate Darris Summers arraigned Hawkins and released him on a personal recognizance bond Monday morning. He did not respond to a request for comment.
Reach Giuseppe Sabella at giuseppe.sabella@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-5189 or follow @Gsabella on Twitter.