Area man facing felony charge
ELKINS — An Upshur County man is facing a felony charge, accused of driving while his license was revoked for DUI with an infant child in the vehicle.
John Arthur Absher, 48, of Buckhannon, is charged with one felony count of driving while revoked for DUI, third offense. He is at Tygart Valley Regional Jail on a $10,000 cash or surety bond, set by Randolph County Magistrate George M. “Mike” Riggleman.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Randolph County Magistrate Court, at approximately 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Senior Patrolman B.D. Tice, of the Elkins Police Department, was patrolling Harrison Avenue in Elkins, near Scottie’s Restaurant when he saw a female individual trying to get out of a white vehicle.
Tice then saw the male driver of the vehicle reach over and keep the woman inside the vehicle. At that time, Tice stopped the white Nissan Maxima in the Go-Mart parking lot on Railroad Avenue. The male driver attempted to exit the vehicle but was ordered back into the car by Tice, the complaint states.
Once he approached the vehicle, Tice noticed there was a “small infant child” in the back seat in addition to the male and female occupants. Both the male and female individual told Tice everything was OK and they were “arguing over money,” according to the complaint.
Tice checked the status of the male individual’s drivers license, which identified him as Absher, and found his license had been revoked for DUI on Nov. 4, 2015.
Absher has two prior convictions for driving revoked for DUI on Nov. 30, 2010, and Nov. 4, 2015, according to the complaint.
If convicted, Absher could be sentenced to not less than one nor more than three years in the state penitentiary and fined not less than $3,000 nor more than $5,000.
Other arrests recorded in Randolph County:
∫ Hunter Miller Howell, 37, of Elkins, is charged with one felony count of driving while revoked for DUI, third offense. He is housed at Tygart Valley Regional Jail on a $10,000 cash-only bond, set by Riggleman.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Randolph County Magistrate Court, at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sgt. R.K. Swisher, of the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, was told by Deputy Z.T. Pingley, also of the RCSO, that Howell was possibly driving a black Ford Explorer in the Kelly Mountain area while his license was revoked for DUI.
Swisher contacted Randolph County 911 Communications and requested a driver’s history be done on Howell, which showed his license was revoked for DUI. It also showed he was convicted of driving revoked for DUI, third offense on June 8, and received a sentence of one year of unsupervised probation, according to the complaint.
Pingley went toward Chenoweth Creek and Swisher traveled to the intersection of Kelly Mountain Road and U.S. 33 East to watch for the vehicle.
Roughly 15 minutes later, Swisher saw a black Ford Explorer coming from Kelly Mountain Road toward the intersection. The vehicle stopped in the roadway “long before” the intersection stop sign and refused to go any further, the complaint states.
Due to the vehicle’s refusal to go any further, Swisher turned on his cruiser lights and pulled behind the vehicle. He then went to the driver’s side of the vehicle and the driver opened the door. Swisher identified the driver to be Howell at that time. Swisher confirmed that Howell’s license was revoked for DUI, which it had been, before taking him into custody, according to the complaint.
If convicted, Howell could be sentenced to not less than one nor more than three years in the state penitentiary and fined not less than $3,000 nor more than $5,000.