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BUCKHANNON -- A man died Monday after a two-vehicle accident in Upshur County involving a drunken driver, police said.
The wreck took place at the intersection of U.S. Route 33 East and Kesling Mill Road, according to a Tuesday release from the Upshur County Sheriff's Office.
Matthew Eli Whitehead, 27, of Belington, was driving a 2019 Ford Festiva traveling west on U.S. Route 33, as a 2009 Hyundai Sonata, driven by Michelle Wright of Buckhannon, was turning at the stop light onto Kesling Mill Road, the release states.
The Hyundai "had the right-of-way when the 2019 Ford Festiva ran the red light on the berm and struck the Hyundai in the passenger door," according to the release.
Kenneth Wright, a passenger in the Hyundai, "later died at a local hospital as a result of injuries sustained in the motor vehicle crash," the release states, adding that Michelle Wright was transported to Ruby Memorial Hospital to be treated for injuries.
Whitehead has been charged with one count of DUI causing death and one count of DUI causing serious bodily injury, both felonies.
According to the criminal complaint, Whitehead told deputies he had "smoked medical marijuana and had felt like driving reckless."
Officers searched the Festival and found "a glass smoking device" and "a grinder device which contained a green leafy substance," according to the criminal complaint.
Deputy Brandon Newbrough is investigating the incident, assisted by the West Virginia State Police.