Emergency director charged with DUI

Marlinton, W.Va. – On Monday July 2 at approximately 11:45 p.m., Melvin L. Martin was arrested and charged with Driving Under The Influence, 0.15 percent or higher blood alcohol content. During an emergency meeting the following day, the Pocahontas County Commission fired Martin from his position as Director of Emergency Management.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Pocahontas County Magistrate Court by Senior Trooper R.S. Weirich, the trooper responded to the scene on Route 219 in Marlinton after Martin called for assistance. Martin told the trooper he was driving a county-owned vehicle southbound on Route 219 when he struck a rock. The trooper detected the smell of alcohol on Martin’s breath and Martin failed field sobriety tests and a preliminary breath test.

The trooper arrested Martin and transported him to the Pocahontas County Sheriff’s Office, where an Intoximeter test reported a .175 percent blood alcohol content. Magistrate Janice Kershner-Vanover advised the trooper to cite Martin and release him to a responsible party, due to the ongoing declared state of emergency. Martin was transported home and placed into the custody of his wife.