LEWISBURG W.Va. (WVDN) – According to a criminal complaint, on Jan. 17, an officer made an attempt to stop a black Jeep traveling at a very high speed on Washington Street in Lewisburg. The vehicle reportedly had no rear taillights lit up. The officer attempted the traffic stop in the vicinity of Washington Street, having turned on his blue lights around Echols Lane.
The complaint states that the driver turned right onto Holt Lane, ignoring the blue lights. The officer then reportedly gave several bursts from his siren in an attempt to get the driver’s attention and get them to stop. At this point, the complaint notes that the driver proceeded to turn onto Alderson Street and gave no sign of stopping, even though the officer had the full lights and siren. They came to the intersection of Alderson Street and Ruffner Road, and the officer made a felony traffic stop because of the alleged erratic and unusual driving behavior.
The driver was told to get out of the vehicle and walk backwards to the officer, and then the driver was placed in handcuffs. The officer reportedly detected the odor of alcoholic beverages on the driver’s breath. The driver was frisked for weapons, and he provided the officer with his ID. He was then placed in the backseat of the police cruiser. The vehicle was then checked for other occupants, and the officer had dispatch run a check on the driver, identified as Caleb Warren, for any warrants.
The officer asked Warren if he was willing to take a Standard Field Sobriety Test, to which Warren allegedly responded, “No.” The officer also asked if Warren was willing to give a secondary breath sample to determine the alcohol content of his blood. Warren again allegedly said “No.” Warren was told again that he could give a voluntary blood sample. The complaint states that Warren again said “No.”
The officer advised Warren that the next step was to contact the Greenbrier County Magistrate and obtain a warrant for a blood sample to determine the alcohol level in his body, and a tow truck to take his vehicle. While typing the warrant, Warren was read his implied consent to confirm he didn’t want to voluntarily give his breath and signed that he refused. The vehicle was taken by a tow company, and a warrant was obtained. The blood was drawn at Greenbrier Valley Hospital. It will be sent to the West Virginia State Police toxicology lab.
Warren was then transported to Southern Regional Jail to await arraignment; however, at the time of publishing, he is no longer in custody, based on jail records. Warren is being charged with DUI, fleeing, and not stopping when he had multiple opportunities to do so safely.
