KINGWOOD — Two men faced drug and other charges after police said they fled from Preston County Sheriff’s deputies.
Blake Conrad, 28, of Berkeley Springs, was in the Tygart Valley Regional Jail Friday in lieu of $75,000 bond. He is charged with fleeing with reckless indifference and possession of marijuana with intent to deliver.
His brother, James Conrad, 25, who was a passenger in the car, was charged with misdemeanor possession of less than 15 grams of marijuana. He pleaded guilty to the charge and must pay $166.25.
According to a department press release, Lt. T.E. Mitter tried to stop a swerving, green 1995 Subaru Forester with no inspection sticker going west on Interstate 68 Thursday. He pursued the car south on W.Va. 26.
The Subaru passed “numerous” vehicles in blind turns and no passing zones before turning onto Hudson Road, toward Bull Run. The driver of a Jeep Cherokee, seeing the Subaru coming at the intersection with Bull Run Road, stopped in the road and ran up the bank to avoid being hurt.
The Subaru squeezed by and continued at speeds of up to 50 mph before an axle broke after it crossed the bridge at the bottom of the hill. Blake Conrad, the driver, fled on foot but Mitter’s K-9, Samson, followed him into the river and held onto his leg.
The dog lost his footing as they climbed out of the river but followed Conrad to where he climbed a tree and remained at the bottom, barking.
Mitter wrote, “a large amount” of marijuana was in the car and near where Blake Conrad was caught. The officer said Blake threw some marijuana from his backpack into the river.
