Clark

PHILIPPI — A man who said he worked for Child Protective Services was arrested in Barbour County Sunday after he was pulled over and accused of driving impaired with a child in the back seat of his vehicle.

James Clark, 43, of Shady Spring, has been charged with child neglect creating risk of injury and DUI with a minor. He is being held in the Tygarts Valley Regional Jail on a $13,000 surety/cash bond.

According to the criminal complaint filed in Barbour County Magistrate Court, at approximately 6:48 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, Cpl. Parks of the Barbour County Sheriff’s Office observed a vehicle cross the yellow line on U.S. Route 250 and almost strike another vehicle in front of Philip Barbour High School.

Parks pulled the vehicle over and detected slurred speech from the river, Clark, and observed a child in the back seat of the automobile, the complaint states. Upon exiting the vehicle, Clark took a Field Sobriety Test and allegedly had signs of impairment during the test.

According to the complaint, Clark told police that he was working for CPS and had the child in his custody. He told police that he was transporting the 2-year-old child to her mother, and stated that he just left a supervised visit.

The complaint states that Clark blew 0.00 on a breath test, and Parks asked if he had taken anything else that day. Clark stated that he had taken his prescribed Suboxone and Neurontin. Clark allegedly showed multiple signs of impairment during an A.R.I.D.E Field Sobriety test, which is designated to detect impairment from controlled substances and impairing substances.

According to the complaint, Clark was transported to Broaddus Hospital for a blood draw and then transported to the Barbour County Sheriff’s Office for processing.

According to published reports, the West Virginia Department of Human Services announced that Clark does not work for CPS directly. Officials said Clark is an employee of a third-party contractor that works with the Department of Human Services and the Bureau of Social Services.