KINGWOOD — On Tuesday, Clay Conor Johnson, 32, pleaded guilty to DUI, reckless driving, obstruction, aggravated DUI, and two counts of destruction of property.
All six charges are misdemeanors.
According to a criminal complaint from June 2018, police were dispatched to a vehicle accident in the parking lot of Wesbanco. The caller said the driver of the wrecked vehicle was trying to leave the scene, going east on W.Va. 7 past the Preston County Sheriff’s office.
Johnson was driving east in the westbound lane, and deputy W.E Crawford had to swerve to miss him. As they passed, Johnson yelled obscenities at the officer and swerved to try to hit the cruiser.
Johnson continued east in the westbound lane and nearly hit four other vehicles. He was seen drinking beer and tossing the empty containers out the car
window.
When Deputy R.A. Stockett Jr. tried to block Johnson’s path with his cruiser, Johnson struck the cruiser, causing “significant damage,” and continued on.
When Crawford passed Johnson to try another block, Johnson swerved toward the cruiser. The deputy got around him and set up spike strips. Johnson accelerated and turned into the cruiser, rather than the spike strips, causing “significant damage” to that cruiser.
Johnson continued to accelerate after the collision and tried to push Crawford’s cruiser out of the way before being taken into custody.
In a second case, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Savannah Wilkins said police received a call in February from Johnson’s wife. She said her husband was drunk and going to jump off of a bridge. Johnson was arrested and failed sobriety tests.
Judge Steven Shaffer ordered a pre-sentence investigation.
A sentencing hearing was scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Jan. 17.
