One person was lifeflighted from the scene of a wreck on Route 20 near the Stony Run Road intersection that occurred at about 8 a.m. Monday morning.
According to the wreck report by investigating officer Cpl. Rodney Rolenson with the Upshur County Sheriff’s Department, Delmas Joe Riffle III, 22, of French Creek, was driving a 2000 Jeep Cherokee north on Route 20, heading down the hill toward town, when its brakes went out. The vehicle left the right-side of the road, hit the embankment and then and struck a utility pole.
It took emergency crews about 45 minutes to extricate Riffle, who was taken by Upshur County EMS to a landing zone for HealthNet that was set up in the Tractor Supply parking lot.
Riffle was flown to J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown with injuries to his legs and lower body. He was listed in fair condition as of Tuesday morning.
According to the report, Riffle told Rolenson that he lost control when his brakes went out and he didn’t want to hit anyone, so he went off the road and hit the pole. He was not cited.
