WOOD COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Wood County deputies arrested a Parkersburg man early Tuesday after finding him asleep behind the wheel of a running vehicle along Butcher Bend Road.
Deputies were called to the 1000 block just after midnight on June 4 when a resident reported an unfamiliar car idling at the end of his driveway.
According to the Wood County Sheriff’s Office, deputies arrived to find the driver slumped over the steering wheel, unresponsive.
When repeated attempts to wake the driver failed, a deputy reached through a partially open window, unlocked the door, shifted the vehicle into park and shut off the engine.
The driver was identified as Joshua Tyler Reed Dewhirst, 29, of Birch Street.
A search of the vehicle and Dewhirst allegedly turned up quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Deputies also discovered that Dewhirst’s driver’s license had been suspended.
Dewhirst was taken into custody and charged with:
- Driving Under the Influence
- Possession of Methamphetamine
- Possession of Fentanyl
- Obstructing an Officer
- Driving on a Suspended/Revoked License
He was transported to the Wood County Holding Center for processing and later arraigned before a magistrate.
Dewhirst did not post bond and was returned to the holding facility.
