KINGWOOD, W.Va. (WBOY) — Two people were killed in an alleged drunk driving crash in Preston County over the weekend and one man has been arrested.
On Aug. 20, deputies with the Preston County Sheriff’s Department responded to a single-vehicle crash with possible injuries on Whetsell Settlement Road in Kingwood, according to a criminal complaint.
When deputies arrived, they located a black Jeep in the creek near the road, and they learned that Christopher Smith, 52, of Terra Alta was the driver of the vehicle, deputies said.
Before making contact with Smith, deputies observed him “providing CPR to a female,” and later the woman, as well as another occupant of the vehicle, were declared deceased, according to the complaint.
Deputies spoke with Smith and “detected the distinct odor of alcohol emanating from his person” and that he had “bloodshot eyes also consistent with being under the influence of alcohol”; medical records from Preston Memorial Hospital showed Smith to have a BAC of 0.204, deputies said.
Smith has been charged with two counts of DUI with death. He is currently out on a $100,000 bond.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to include Smith’s mugshot.
