Driver charged in fatal Parkersburg accident
Jeffrey SaultonPARKERSBURG - Bond was set at $20,000 for a Vienna man charged with driving under the influence causing the death of a Parkersburg man.
Christopher William Browning, 19, 5601 Fourth Ave., Vienna, was arraigned Tuesday before Wood County Magistrate Donna Jackson. He posted bond and was released.
According to the criminal complaint filed in magistrate court, Browning was driving a 1991 Chevrolet that crashed on Fourth Street near Ann Street.
Killed in the accident was Nathaniel Day, 19, of Parkersburg and injured was Charles Jackson, 20, of Parkersburg. Jackson was transferred from Camden-Clark Memorial Hospital to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown where he is listed in critical condition.
According to the complaint, witnesses and an off-duty police officer saw a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed, swerving in and out of traffic and almost striking other vehicles.
Witnesses said around 9:45 p.m. Monday, the driver lost control in a sharp curve south of Camden-Clark, ran off the right side of the road and hit a guardrail. Day was partially ejected.
On the scene, the complaint read, Browning was unsteady on his feet and had slurred speech. During an interview at the hospital, officers detected a strong odor of alcohol on his breath.
Under West Virginia law the possible penalty for DUI causing a fatality is 2-10 years in prison and a fine of $1,000-$3,000.
The Wood County crash team of officers from various departments investigated.
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AaronL
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06-25-09 4:01 PM
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And here's something else to be seriously considered, the AGES of ALL involved, and who sold it to them.This mess will surely have a longer reach than has been expressed here, find the root of the problem.
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SKINNY39
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06-25-09 8:23 AM
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CLJ- he was tested - reults showed he was almost FOUR TIMES THE LEGAL LIMIT !!!!
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CrazyLarryJones
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06-24-09 9:19 AM
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I hope they gave him a blood test and not rely on "a strong odor of alcohol on his breath", because after such an accident I would be unsteady on my feet.
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TSmearman
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06-24-09 3:12 AM
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Bond was set at $20,000, Under West Virginia law the possible penalty for DUI causing a fatality is 2-10 years in prison and a fine of $1,000-$3,000. Bond should have been &200,000.00 or greater, and 2-10years, should be life. It is murder no matter how you look at it. With stiffer laws, who knows, you might even get a few drunks off the road and save a few lives.
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ThunderRazor
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06-24-09 12:27 AM
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Good. Maybe it will help teach kids that drinking and driving is a bad thing, and this is what could happen to you. From my own personal standpoint, I'm glad I didn't end up like this kid, and only just got pulled over. I learned from my stupid mistake and I hope this kid does as well.
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