Trucking co. owner pleads guilty to contamination of creek caused by West Virginia Turnpike DUI crash

A South Carolina truck driver pleaded guilty after he was involved in a crash on the West Virginia Turnpike in 2022 that resulted in the discharge of pollutants into a nearby creek.

On October 9, 2025, Dennis Eugene West, 57, pleaded guilty as an individual and on behalf of his trucking business, Gadsden, Gaillard and West LLC, to a charge of negligent discharge of pollutants into United States waters, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.

West was involved in a crash on August 24, 2022, on northbound I-77 over Skitter Creek Bridge in Fayette County, West Virginia.

Shortly after the crash, the West Virginia Department of Transportation (WVDOT) said that “the driver lost control, jackknifed, and crossed the barrier wall.”

Officials say that totes of alkyl dimethylamine broke open as a result of the crash, with the chemicals spilling onto the bridge and making their way into Paint Creek.

The spill resulted in “adverse impacts on the aquatic life of the creek including the killing of several species of fish.”

From the U.S. Attorney’s Office:

“As part of his guilty plea, West admitted that he operated the tractor trailer under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash. Law enforcement determined that West’s Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) was more an 0.08 percent. West Virginia law prohibits any person from operating a commercial motor vehicle with a BAC of 0.04 percent or more. West further admitted that did not have a permit issued pursuant to the federal Clean Water Act to discharge pollutants, including alkyl dimethylamine, into Paint Creek or any other water in West Virginia.”

Both West and Gadsden, Gaillard and West LLC will face sentencing on January 29, 2026.

West faces up to a year in prison, a year of supervised release, and a $100,000 fine.

Gadsden, Gaillard and West LLC could face up to five years of federal probation and a $200,000 fine.

West and Gadsden, Gaillard and West LLC together owe restitution of up to $1,654,654, officials said.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-Criminal Investigation Division, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP), and the West Virginia State Police.