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DAILEY – A single-vehicle collision led to charges after a Randolph County man allegedly drove with a revoked license and struck his passenger in the face three times.
Deven Lovell Smith, 39, of Beverly, is charged with one count of operators revoked for DUI-third offense, a felony. He has also been charged with domestic assault or domestic battery-second offense, a misdemeanor. Smith is currently being held at the Tygart Valley Regional Jail on a $10,000 cash-bond for the felony charge and a $4,000 cash-only bond for the misdemeanor chare.
According to the criminal complaint, filed by Trooper H.J. Bonetti with the West Virginia State Police Elkins Detachment, on Oct. 1, around 4:15 p.m., the Randolph County Board of Emergency Management dispatched a single-vehicle collision on the Back Road in Dailey. The Randolph County Board of Emergency Management later told officers that the vehicle had left the scene, and the driver and passenger appeared to be involved in a domestic situation.
Around 6:15 p.m., a Randolph County Sheriff’s Office deputy observed the vehicle at a residence on Back Road, the complaint states. Bonetti arrived on the scene and made contact with the alleged victim, who reportedly advised that Smith had struck her three times in the face. Bonetti observed multiple bruises on the alleged victim’s arms and that her left eye had a bruise as well. The alleged victim stated Smith had been driving the vehicle when the prior collision occurred.
On the same date, around 8:30 p.m., Bonetti contacted a witness who advised a bystander had pulled Smith’s vehicle from a ditch after the collision occurred, the complaint states. The witness reportedly advised that Smith had been the one driving.
Then, around 8:55 p.m., Bonetti contacted two other witnesses, who advised that they had been sitting on their front porch when they saw Smith drive into the ditch, according to police. The witnesses reportedly stated Smith and the alleged victim switched places in the vehicle. They also said a bystander had pulled the vehicle from the ditch and that Smith had been the one driving, corroborating the first witness’ statement.
According to the complaint, West Virginia State Police Communications advised Bonetti that Smith had a revoked operator’s license for DUI. Upon further investigating, Bonetti observed Smith had two prior convictions for driving with a revoked license, in 2013 and 2014.