PARKERSBURG, W.Va. — A man was arrested and charged Wednesday evening with DUI causing death after another man was killed by fire in his vehicle last weekend.
Duane Hamrick was allegedly drunk when he made a wrong turn into a Parkersburg cemetery in the area of 19th Street and Juliana Street early last Saturday morning, according to Parkersburg police.
The truck got stuck after running into several grave markers and eventually caught fire. Hamrick got out of the burning vehicle but his passenger Matthew Stanley did not. He was badly burned and died of smoke inhalation, police said.
Hamrick was initially uncooperative but agreed to talk police Sunday. He told them he had been drinking all day and he passed out after putting the truck into 4-wheel drive with his foot on the accelerator. He told police he woke to heavy smoke in the cab.
He was arraigned Wednesday evening and posted $5,000 bail.
An autopsy on Stanley’s body was completed Tuesday.