CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A man is behind bars facing an array of charges which stem from an early morning pursuit in Kanawha County.
Kanawha County deputies attempted to pull over Larry George Hamrick, 45, of Charleston, early Monday morning over an issue with a defective muffler. The stop was initiated on Piedmont Road, but deputies say Hamrick fled the area at a high rate of speed.
The chase south on I-77 in the wrong direction and eventually crossed the Kanawha River in the wrong direction on the 36th Street Bridge. Deputies say Hamrick nearly hit a cruiser head on in the pursuit and damaged two separate gates in the parking area for the Charleston Area Medical Center’s Memorial Hospital. The chase headed sound and eventually ended with a crash near Marmet, W.Va. on MacCorkle Avenue.
When arrested, Deputies say Hamrick appeared intoxicated and told them he had snorted methamphetamines two hours earlier. He’s in jail today facing an array of charges which included felony fleeing while driving under the influence and fleeing with reckless indifference. He is also charged with misdemeanors of driving under the influence, destruction of property, driving with no insurance, driving with a suspended license, and improper registration. Deputies say Hamrick’s license had already been suspended for 45 unpaid citations.
He’s lodged in the South Central Regional Jail.