Elkins woman sentenced to probation, anger management
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ELKINS -- A Randolph County woman has been sentenced to three years of supervise probation, including anger management, after intentionally causing a head-on vehicle collision in February 2025.
Stephanie Louise Miller, 42, of Elkins, was sentenced by Randolph County Circuit Court Judge David Wilmoth to no less than one, and no more than five years of incarceration for one count of unlawful assault, a felony.
Wilmoth suspended the sentence for three years of supervised probation. As part of her supervised probation, Miller must attend anger management therapy, have a psychological evaluation, participate in the community corrections program and maintain full-time employment. She must also have no contact with the victim in this case. Restitution in this case will be determined on a later date.
In June, Miller entered into a plea agreement, pleading guilty to one count of unlawful assault. Miller was initially indicted in July 2025 by a Randolph County grand jury on one count of malicious assault, and one count of destruction of property, both felonies. She was also indicted on one count of harassment and one count of false information, both misdemeanors.
At the sentencing hearing’s start, Miller’s attorney, Paul Gwaltney, asked the court to issue Miller an alternative sentence rather than prison time. Calling the whole case a “horrible situation,” Gwaltney explained that Miller has been out on bond for 19 months and was doing well with no violations. He noted that Miller has never tried to contact the victim and that she even changed her phone number twice because the victim had tried to contact her.
Miller did not address the court herself.
In his recommendation on behalf of the state, Assistant Randolph County Prosecutor Richard Shryock also asked the court to issue Miller an alternative sentence, per the plea agreement. Shryock noted that the victim had sent the court a victim impact statement and that she did not agree with the state’s recommendation. When Wilmoth asked if the victim was present in the courtroom to address the court, Shryock said she chose not to attend.
As he sentenced Miller, Wilmoth said that he was concerned that Miller had not truly accepted responsibility for what happened, noting that she appeared to “downplay” what took place in her pre-sentence report. Wilmoth called Miller’s reaction to the situation “significant and serious.” He also stated that, if she were to receive any more messages from the victim, she should contact the police and let them handle it, as any response from Miller would be in violation of her probation.
According to the criminal complaint, prepared by Trooper First Class E.B. Malcomb with the Elkins Detachment of the West Virginia State Police, on Feb. 3, 2025, 911 communications received a call about a two-vehicle accident on U.S. Route 219 near the South Hazlewood intersection. The caller to 911 reportedly said “a vehicle was traveling on the wrong side of the road and purposely hit the other vehicle.”
At about 10:37 a.m., Malcomb arrived on the scene, seeing two vehicles in the southbound lane that had been in a head-on collision, the complaint states. The two vehicles were a black Ford Edge, driven by Miller, and a red Nissan Juke, driven by the victim, a woman.
A man on the scene told Malcomb he was “in a relationship” with Miller, and “they were arguing about him being in a relationship with another girl,” the woman driving the Nissan, the complaint states. He said the Nissan driver was supposed to pick him up, but “Miller was trying to get him into her vehicle, but he did not want to go with her.”
The man said the Nissan driver was driving south on U.S. 219, and Miller “drove her vehicle into the southbound lane while traveling northbound,” according to the complaint. The man said “he could see (the Nissan driver) attempt to move her vehicle left, away from the path of Ms. Miller, but Ms. Miller followed her movement and struck (the Nissan driver) head-on, causing the collision.”
The Nissan driver was taken to Davis Medical Center to be treated for injuries, the complaint states.
Malcomb spoke with the Nissan driver, who said Miller had been “sending her messages she found to be harassing,” according to the complaint.
Miller told Malcomb the male witness had been in her car and “got out of her vehicle and she was trying to get him back into the vehicle,” the complaint states. Miller “then indicated she was struck.”
Malcomb wrote in the complaint that, “from statements given prior to the wreck and statements made by witnesses,” the officer believed “this head-on collision was caused intentionally by Ms. Miller.”