Johnson

BUCKHANNON — An Upshur County man faces a felony charge for allegedly being on drugs when he caused a head-on collision that sent two people to the hospital.

Trey Amadeus Johnson, 27, is charged with one count of driving under the influence of controlled substances or drugs causing serious bodily injury, a felony. He is currently being held at the Tygart Valley Regional Jail on a $25,000 cash-only bond.

According to the criminal complaint, filed by Trooper C.C. Jones with the Buckhannon Detachment of the West Virginia State Police, on July 5, Jones responded to a two-vehicle crash on Hickory Flat Road in Buckhannon.

Upon arrival, Jones observed a female subject covered in blood and being placed on a backboard by medical personnel for transport to a hospital, the complaint states. Jones identified the driver of the vehicle at fault to be Johnson. Through investigation, it was determined that Johnson had allegedly left his lane of travel and collided with another vehicle head on.

The two rear seat passengers in Johnson’s vehicle were transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital, according to the complaint. One passenger had “an indentation in her skull” and there was concern she had a brain bleed, leading to her being further sent to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown.

Jones reportedly observed Johnson to have “a raspy voice, droopy eyelids and to be lethargic,” the complaint states. Jones conducted a standardized field sobriety testing and advanced roadside impairment driving enforcement tests on Johnson. During the tests, Johnson allegedly showed signs of impairment, which included “severe balance issues, time estimation error and coordination issues.” Johnson allegedly told Jones that he last used methamphetamine the day before the accident and took suboxone that morning.

The driver of the other vehicle in the collision reportedly stated that Johnson’s eyes were closed and he appeared to be intoxicated after the collision, the complaint states. Upon informing Johnson that he was under arrest for driving under the influence, Johnson allegedly said, “I figured.”