STATE POLICE CRUISER CRASHES WITH CAR RESPONDING TO 'FALSE REPORT CALL' - Car Peels Guardrail, State Police Cruiser Damaged, Officer Responding To Reported 150 Person 'Dispute'

(11/16/2012)

A Big Bend woman and well-known community volunteer, Carol Sloane, was injured Wednesday morning when her vehicle dodged to miss an oncoming State Police cruiser answering what appears to be a false report.

Sloane's vehicle went off the highway at Cabot Station and crashed against the end of a guardrail, clipping off a guardrail post and peeling back several feet of metal, almost going into the Little Kanawha River.

A police cruiser from the Grantsville detachment was responding to what appeared to be a critical but false call in the Creston area.

The cruiser collided with Sloane, after passing one or more vehicles with siren and lights, those vehicles reportedly failing to pull over.

State Policeman J. A. Newman was reportedly unable to get out of his cruiser because of a crushed door, with another officer calling Calhoun 911 regarding the accident. Trooper Newman was not injured.

Sloane was taken to Minnie Hamilton Health System for evaluation after the 10:45 a.m. accident by Calhoun EMS, where she was treated and released.

Newman was responding to call received at his barracks from the Wirt County State Police, reportedly to an incident near Creston in the Little Creek area, a report that indicated "150 people were creating problems." Those individuals were reportedly described as militia-type individuals who had "entrenched" in the Little Creek community.

Wirt County State Police and a Wirt deputy sheriff responded to the alleged incident, reported to them by a woman who neighbors described as having serious mental or drug problems.

Natural Resource Police officer Charles Stephens and Grantsville Police Chief Andy Walker joined Trooper Newman on the call, to then continue to the scene of the reported Creston area incident, to reportedly discover it was based on misinformation.

Calhoun's 911 Center or Wood-Wirt County 911 Center did not receive a report regarding a dispute or problem in the Creston area.

Chief Deputy Carl Ballengee and Deputy Justin Smith responded to the accident scene with the Grantsville VFD.

State Police are investigating the incident.

State Police cruiser, responding to reported dispute was damaged on the driver's side, shown on wrecker