A truck owned by Thunder Valley Excavating, Inc., that crashed Saturday is the latest in a string of truck accidents at the foot of Brock Ridge Road, where it intersects with state Route 2. (Photo provided)

Following yet another avoidable trucking accident at the intersection of Brock Ridge Road and state Route 7, the Wetzel County Commission was met with more concerned citizens asking for their help in lobbying for proper signage, driver training, and action from local law enforcement.

Bill and Marianne Hughes, Ed Wade Jr., and Genine Licciardello Van Horn appeared before the commission during their meeting held Tuesday morning to voice their complaints, particularly regarding the sheriff’s seemingly intentional failure to respond and report such accidents.

“How we’ve not had a fatality is beyond me,” Wetzel County Action Group member Bill Hughes began. But with that said, it was clear in his mind that many members of law enforcement were choosing to ignore inconvenient facts due to Chesapeake Energy’s persuasive tactics. “We can’t acquire the same level of influence,” he said alluding to monetary favors. “However, I’d like to believe we are all equal under the law.” He recalled that early on Chesapeake attempted to hire off-duty deputies, further illustrating Chesapeake’s intentions to get the law on their side.

Bill and Marianne Hughes went on to share photographs from several trucking accidents wherein the Sheriff’s office was contacted but failed to go on-site and report the incidents. In a few of those instances, Hughes said he contacted the Sheriff’s office and waited hours for authorities who never arrived.

However, the group did note that while deputies tended to not respond to trucking accidents called in by citizens, deputies were always on-site when Chesapeake Energy called with complaints, as in three cases where residents, one of which being Bill Hughes, were arrested for blocking roadways.

Bill Hughes said he was at first very sympathetic to Sheriff Hoskins regarding being spread thin in man power and budgetary constraints. “But once I realized that the manning issues were only a problem when citizens called, I lost complete sympathy for Hoskins.” To this, Commissioner Scott Lemley said the commission had never been approached by the sheriff regarding any request for more man power.

In most of the incidents brought to the commissioners’ attention, the accidents led to that portion of state Route 7 being blocked for several hours. Marianne Hughes then spoke up, saying that when the blocked roadways are not reported, local citizens end up waiting in traffic to get through or find themselves “traveling miles and hours around” the scene of an accident.

Furthermore, failure to maintain a vehicle, leaving the scene of an accident, and crossing left of center are among many citations the group believes these drivers and companies have eluded thanks in part to law enforcement not reporting or citing such incidents. “It’s not my responsibility to call, especially when I get ignored when I do call,” Bill Hughes said.

The Hughes’ also brought up that while Brock Ridge Road was being paved over, the summer accident rates reduced significantly because there was reduced traffic flow on the road. However, now that the road is paved the Hugheses say truck drivers are driving faster and more dangerously than ever.

The most recent accident at the intersection of Brock Ridge and state Route 7 took place around 10 a.m. Saturday. It is speculated the driver lost control of the vehicle coming down the ridge due to possibly not gearing down to safely descend the 18 percent grade down to the intersection. The truck crossed state Route 7, ran through the guard rail, tore off a utility pole, veered off a tree, then continued for approximately 70 feet into the side yard of Genine and Ed Van Horn, finally stopping as the truck hit another tree head-on.

According to Wade, a member of the Wetzel County Action Group, he had never seen the contractor truck before and believes this particular driver may have been new to the area and that he likely didn’t have any experience traveling the hill.

Van Horn, who has rented the home directly beside the intersection since March, also spoke to the commission, saying, “I’m scared to death once the snow and ice hits; I’m as good as done.” She went on to say she spoke briefly to the driver of the truck who said he was doing his best to avoid hitting the house.

Van Horn said she believed the best action to be taken was for drivers to be trained on how to travel the winding, steep roads. “You’re as good as dead if you don’t know what you’re doing,” she underlined. “They need to be trained.” As what Wade believes, Van Horn added the driver told her he had been a truck driver for 37 years.

Bill Hughes noted that in addition to the obvious dangers of this accident, 215 feet of guard rail was damaged. “Who pays for that?” he blankly asked the commissioners.

BIll Hughes, who lives near this intersection, stated he knew of at least seven other truck accidents at this location which were caused by trucks using the wrong gear coming down the hill. Notably, there is a warning sign at the top of Brock Ridge Road which instructs drivers to descend in the lowest gear. “Of those seven previous accidents, only one managed to ditch the truck on the left side of the hill and get it stopped before crossing Route 7.” Hughes stated. “Of the other six, two went through or over the guard rail; two turned over on Route 7 trying to make the turn; one could not stop and rear-ended a stopped vehicle in front of it, pushing the stopped vehicle out onto Route 7; and one slid to an uncontrolled stop on Route 7.”

Toward the end of the meeting Marianne Hughes touched on the fact that so many in the community feel the oil and gas boom in the county is such a positive, beneficial happening. “Those benefits are at a great cost to those who live near the drilling sites,” she said, sharing with the commission that she has had to add 12 miles and 20 minutes to her daily commute to work to get around the activity, and that those alterations have added up to hundreds of dollars a month out of her pocket. “It’s not this great windfall,” she resolved.

She concluded a lot more pressure was needed to be put on Chesapeake to be more cautious on the roads. “No amount of economic benefit is worth the sacrifice of one life,” she stressed. “There’s great danger at the bottom of Brock Ridge.”

“I sympathize on your difficulty in getting ahold of the sheriff,” said President Don Mason. The commission told the group they had been making contact with a lot of important people in efforts to put pressure on someone regarding installing caution lights. While they don’t have any authority to take action on these issues, they have been lobbying for the safety of the county’s residents to legislators.

“We appreciate whatever you can do,” Bill Hughes concluded.

In response to the Wetzel County Action Group’s assumptions about where the sheriff’s loyalties lay, Wetzel County Sheriff James Hoskins first clarified the state police responded to the accident on Saturday because his department was unable to respond as the only deputy was on duty was transporting a mental hygiene patient at the time, which is one of many responsibilities laid upon the department.

“For the Wetzel County Action Group to say I don’t care is misleading,” Hoskins began. “I understand there are problems with the accidents and the department is doing the best it can to try to make sure the roads are safe.” He added he recently took the opportunity to speak to legislatures in Charleston about the traffic and workers to see if there’s anything they can do with the laws to help. “I took the opportunity to go down and let them know the problems we’re having. Most sheriffs don’t do that.”

“I know this is a problem, it’s not just on Brock Ridge,” Hoskins continued. “But we can’t be simply waiting at Brock Ridge for something to happen.” Hoskins emphasized they are limited on man power and that they’re doing the best they can to do what is best, by law, for Wetzel County. “We’ve got to protect everybody and we simply can’t be everywhere.”

He continued clarifying, “None of my deputies nor I work for Chesapeake. None of us are employed by any oil and gas company.” He added that there’s in fact a law prohibiting deputies and sheriff’s from participating in such activity, a law which Hoskins affirmed was a good law in his opinion.

Regarding the accusation that the department only responds to calls by Chesapeake, Hoskins explained they receive calls through 9-1-1. “They (gas companies) don’t give the calls personally to us. Whatever the dispatcher says determines how we handle the incidents.” Furthermore, Hoskins noted the dispatch center handles numerous calls and does an excellent job.

He also stated he had heard from emergency personnel that members of the action group have frequently been dangerously in the way during an incident, blocking roadways where emergency vehicles need to be.

He went on to say that the department will not revolve around the Wetzel County Action Group, stressing there’s “a lot going on that needs to be taken care of that is of a high priority also.” He added that if all his department did was take cues from the action group, that’s all they would get done.

“There’s a certain group of people in Wetzel County that wants the sheriff’s office to operate under their agenda,” he stated. “They don’t dictate to me how I run my office. We’re going to prioritize what we need to do.”

The owner of Thunder Valley Excavating, Inc.-the company whose truck was involved in the Dec. 10 accident-was unavailable for comment at the time of publication. It is unknown the driver’s condition following the accident or what exactly caused the drive to lose control of the vehicle.

New Martinsville ambulances were on site to care for the driver. Also on site was a Public Service Commission heavy truck inspector/enforcement officer. Additionally, the Wileyville Fire Department provided traffic control while the truck was towed out of the Van Horns’ yard and back onto the highway, blocking state Route 7 for a considerable period of time, according to Bill Hughes.

The accident is being investigated by the West Virginia State Police.