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Woman arrested after rollover crash

VOLGA — A Barbour County woman was arrested after allegedly falling asleep behind the wheel and being involved in a rollover crash with her three children in the vehicle.

Courtney Brooke Alkire, 31, of Philippi, has been charged with child neglect with risk of death, a felony, and DUI with injury, a misdemeanor. Alkire is being held in the Tygart Valley Regional Jail on a $35,000 property/surety bond.

According to the criminal complaint, prepared by Deputy C.A. Curkendall of the Barbour County Sheriff’s Department, a rollover vehicle crash with multiple injuries was reported at the intersection of Route 119 and Maxson Camp Road, near Volga, on Oct. 12.

The vehicle was driven by Alkire and carried her three children, ages 4, 5 and 9, the complaint states. One of the children told an officer “he had to kick out the window and crawl out of the vehicle after the crash.” That child sustained “a large laceration to his arm.” He was taken by Barbour County EMS to United Hospital Center for treatment.

Witnesses to the accident allegedly told police that “a child had crawled out of the vehicle and said, ‘I told you you were falling asleep, I told you, you stupid b****,” according to the complaint. One witness said “he saw a bottle of prescription medication at the scene. He picked it up, and Alkire approached, took the bottle from him, and placed it in her purse. The witness further noted that Alkire was walking around, holding her purse tightly.”

Alkire “exhibited several signs of impairment, including slurred and slow speech, red eyes, slow reactions, droopy eyes, and pinpoint pupils,” the complaint states.

She consented to a search of her purse, which included a bottle containing nine Alprazolam pills, a Schedule IV controlled substance.

Alkire was transported to Broaddus Hospital in Philippi for a voluntary blood draw, according to the complaint. The sealed vials were sent to the West Virginia State Police Crime Lab for analysis.

On Friday, Dec. 20 the toxicology report was received, which revealed the following substances were in Alkire’s system at the time of the accident: Alprazolam; Dextromethorphan, a cough suppressant; Methadone, a medication used to treat opioid addiction; EDDP, a metabolite of Methadone; Pseudoephedrine, a decongestant; THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the active ingredient of marijuana; and Trazodone, an antidepressant medication.

Alkire was arrested on Friday, Dec. 20.

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