A St. Albans man was arrested after he drove a truck through a roadblock on Interstate 79 overnight, deputies said.
Authorities reported the incident around midnight Friday in the northbound lanes, where law enforcement agencies and the West Virginia Division of Highways had shut down the interstate due to a shooting investigation from Thursday evening, according to a news release from the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.
While crews blocked the exit and directed traffic, a black GMC truck drove through the roadblock, striking both a DOH vehicle and a Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office cruiser.
Charleston Police Department Sgt. Jessi Redden and Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Jeremy Burns initiated a pursuit, and officers successfully stopped the vehicle before it reached the active investigation scene.
Deputies identified the driver as 24-year-old John Michael Barnes of St. Albans.
The news release stated that Barnes failed field sobriety tests conducted after the incident. Authorities charged him with driving under the influence, reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident, and failing o obey a lawful order from a law enforcement officer.
No one was injured in the crash, according to the sheriff’s office.
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