Woman Who Nearly Strikes Officer Charged with DUI
By ANTHONY GAYNOR, Staff WriterAn Elkins woman was arrested early Monday on charges of driving under the influence after police say she narrowly missed striking an officer on the Beverly Five-lane.
Ruth M. Triplett, 56, of Elkins was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence early Monday morning. Triplett was arraigned by Elkins Municipal Judge Ben Shepler and was sent to the Tygart Valley Regional Jail. She has since been released.
According to Elkins Police Capt. J.E. Batdorf, Sgt. E.R. Canfield was called to the Beverly Five-lane near Advance Realty to dispose of a deer that was struck by another vehicle. When Canfield arrived, the deer was still alive and he parked his cruiser with all emergency lights flashing.
"Canfield was standing by the deer getting ready to dispatch it, he saw Triplett's car and realized it was not going to stop so he started waiving his flashlight," Batdorf said. "He had to jump out of the way."
Batdorf said Triplett ran over the deer, killing it, and kept going. Canfield jumped into his cruiser and pulled Tripett over in front of Crazy Harry's Greenhouse. Batdorf said Triplett was taken to the Elkins Police Department where she failed a breathalyzer test.
