A Kanawha County man is facing multiple charges after authorities say he drove under the influence and crashed his vehicle, seriously injuring his passenger.
The rollover happened just before 10:30 p.m. Saturday in the 3800 block of Pennsylvania Avenue near Pinch, according to a criminal complaint filed in Kanawha County Magistrate Court.
Troopers with the West Virginia State Police said they arrived to find a vehicle overturned on its roof. The driver was identified as 21-year-old Brett Owen Mullins of South Charleston. Mullins reportedly told troopers he was driving too fast around a curve and was unsure exactly what led to the crash.
According to the complaint, Mullins said his girlfriend, who was in the passenger seat, was ejected during the crash. She was transported to Charleston Area Medical Center General Hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
Troopers reported that Mullins showed signs of impairment, including red, bloodshot and watery eyes, slurred speech and the smell of alcohol. The complaint states Mullins admitted he had consumed alcohol earlier that evening.
Authorities said Mullins performed field sobriety tests and displayed signs of impairment. A preliminary breath test indicated the presence of alcohol. He was then taken to the West Virginia State Police South Charleston detachment, where an Intox EC/IR II test showed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08.
Mullins has been charged with driving under the influence causing bodily injury, driving under the influence of alcohol less than .150, failure to maintain control of a vehicle, improper registration and no insurance. He is being held at South Central Regional Jail on a $15,000 bond.