Driver in WV Turnpike crash arrested for DUI

The truck driver involved in a hazmat crash on the West Virginia Turnpike has been arrested, police say. 

The accident happened just after midnight on Thursday, August 25th in Fayette County, West Virginia. 

According to WSAZ 3 News, the accident sparked a chemical spill involving Alkyl Dimethylamine, a cleaning agent.  When officers made contact with the driver, they could smell alcohol on his breath, so they administered a field sobriety test. 

The driver, Dennis Eugene West, failed the field sobriety test and was taken to the West Virginia State Police Turnpike office in Beckley to be processed. A breathalyzer test revealed West’s blood-alcohol level to be .128, officers say.

All lanes of the roadway were closed for more than 19 hours for cleanup of the incident. The wreck has since been cleared.