Martinsburg Man Pleas in Martinsburg Hit and Run Involving Cop

July 28, 2010 - Martinsburg, W. Va. - A Martinsburg man has been charged in a hit and run accident involving a Berkeley County sheriff's deputy. Robert Elwood Wiley, 47, is charged with driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident involving injury. The accident took place on February 13, 2010.

This past Monday, Wiley signed an agreement to enter Alford pleas on all counts. An Alford plea allows a defendant to refrain from admitting guilt, but to acknowledge that there is enough evidence against him to gain a conviction.

The Herald-Mail reports that Wiley may face 1-5 years in prison in addition to a 1-year jail sentence. These sentences could be served concurrently or consecutively, dependent on whether or not Wiley's plea agreement is accepted.

The accident took place at about 3 a.m. February 13 when Deputy Thomas Carroll was struck by a car while assisting in directing traffic as a grader cleared snow in front of Lowe's on Apple Harvest Drive. Carroll later stated that he rolled across the car, "from hood to tail," landed on his feet, then collapsed from the pain.

Carroll suffered serious injuries in the crash and later had surgery to address injuries to his leg and shoulder. He reportedly credits the police-issued protective gear that he was wearing at the time as a reason that he survived the hit and run accident.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's 2008 West Virginia Crash Statistics show that there were 380 fatalities as a result of car accidents in West Virginia.

In an effort to raise awareness of common factors in serious and fatal car accidents in West Virginia, our firm routinely publishes news items about traffic crashes in our region.

Common West Virginia accidents include, but are not limited to:

 

• single-car crashes;
• tractor-trailer accidents;
• accidents caused by hazardous road conditions; and
• distracted driver crashes.

 

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