Signs lay scattered on the parking lot of Farm Credit Services after an early morning accident.

RIPLEY – A Ripley man escaped injury after his car crashed into a building Nov. 18.

Jerry H. Murphy II, 44, was driving south on Route 62 early Tuesday morning when he lost control of his vehicle, a white 1999 Ford Ranger pickup, around 6:20 a.m. Murphy’s truck ran off the road and struck the signs for the Farm Credit Services building in Ripley before colliding with the building itself.

According to the police report, snowy weather and icy road conditions contributed to the accident.

Although Murphy was not hurt in the crash, his truck had to be towed from the scene.

story by Stephen Hill (shill@jccitizen.com)

The mangled remains of the 2007 Honda Civic Coupe driven by Blythe Horton after colliding with a tractor trailer. Mrs. Horton was severely injured in the accident and listed in critical condition in ICU at CAMC.

RIPLEY – A severe car accident near Ripley prompted authorities to temporarily shut down Interstate 77 and snarled traffic for hours Nov. 19.

Blythe Louise Horton, a resident of North Augusta, SC, was traveling north on I-77 in a 2007 Honda Civic Coupe. At approximately 5:25 p.m., for unknown reasons, Horton drove across the highway median and into oncoming traffic, straight into the path of a southbound 2007 Peterbilt semitrailer driven by Eric Raymond Peoples from Grove City, Pa. Peoples attempted to avoid Horton’s car, but struck it head on; the crash caused Peoples to lose control of his truck, which in turn traveled across the median and into the northbound lane.

The semi then struck an embankment, with its trailer blocking both lanes of traffic. The wreck took place near mile marker 136 between Ripley and Fairplain. Read the full story

2007 Ford Van of Allen Dale Gurley

RIPLEY — Two traffic accidents occurred on Interstate 77 near Fairplain within half an hour of each other on Oct. 28.

The first crash took place at approximately 5:30 p.m. Tuesday evening. Allen Dale Gurley, 55, of Dunbar was headed southbound on I-77 in a white 2007 Ford van when he ran off the right side of the road and struck the embankment, where his vehicle went airborne and then landed upright. In a statement to police, Gurley said that he had swerved to avoid hitting a deer.

The second collision happened shortly before 6 p.m. Jason Michael Ward, 33, of Scott Depot was traveling south in a white 2007 Chevrolet pickup when he slowed down due to the wreck caused by Gurley’s van. Read the full story

EAST OF RIPLEY - A woman was arrested for DUI Thursday afternoon after becoming involved in an accident about 1/2 mile east of the Hilmart store.

Leesa Price of Ravenswood was driving her black 1994 Pontiac Grand Prix westbound on Rt. 33 when the vehicle exited the roadway to the right in a curve and into loose graveling along the side of the road. Read the full story

COTTAGEVILLE, W.Va. - The Cottageville V.F.D. found themselves responding to an accident involving one of their own on Wednesday as Michael Morrison, Cottageville Fire Chief, was injured as his SUV veered off the road, striking a utility pole.

The accident occurred just passed the Fisher Mobile Home Park on Rt. 62 in Cottageville at approximately 10 a.m. in the morning.

Police reports indicate that the SUV drove off the roadway to the right, struck the embankment, then collided with a utility pole. The vehicle ended up on its top, with Morrison trapped inside. Read the full story