Berkeley Springs man arrested three times in three weeks

by Kate Evans

Morgan County Sheriff's Deputies arrested a local man three times within a three-week span.

Michael Wayne Ramsey, age 54, of 154 Harrison Avenue in Berkeley Springs was arrested on Tuesday, April 17 for permitting Edward T. Davies, Sr. to operate his vehicle while Davies was under the influence of alcohol and had a revoked license due to DUI, said Chief Deputy Vince Shambaugh of the Morgan County Sheriff's Department.

Davies was also arrested for driving under the influence and for driving for the third time while his license was revoked for DUI, he said. Sheriff's Deputy Scott Lemon handled the arrests.

Ramsey was arrested a second time by Morgan County Sheriff's Deputy Cliff Cobern on Sunday, April 29 for driving with a revoked license due to driving under the influence, said Shambaugh.

Ramsey was also arrested on Saturday, May 5 for driving under the influence. Deputy Cobern responded to a motor vehicle accident on May 5 on Mountain Run Road that occurred around 5 p.m. Cobern recognized Ramsey who was driving a red Ford Bronco that was wedged crosswise across the bridge. Ramsey was observed banging the vehicle back and forth as he tried to remove it from the bridge, said Shambaugh.

Cobern told Ramsey to stop and get out of the Bronco, but Ramsey would not comply. Ramsey closed the windows, locked the doors to the vehicle and kept trying to leave the scene, he said. Cobern climbed on the hood of the vehicle and broke a side window with his extendable baton, said Shambaugh.

Cobern reported that Ramsey had a beer on the console between the seats. A strong smell of alcoholic beverages was present on his person at the time, Shambaugh noted.

Cobern told Ramsey to exit the vehicle, but he refused. Cobern had to physically remove Ramsey through the broken passenger window since Ramsey would not cooperate, said Shambaugh. Ramsey also refused to answer questions, he said. Paramedics checked Ramsey at the scene for injuries. A field sobriety test could not be conducted, said Shambaugh.

Ramsey was transported to the Magistrate's office where he refused to take a Breathalyzer test, said Shambaugh. Refusal of the Breathalyzer test is deemed an automatic DUI, he said. This is Ramsey's second DUI offense, said Shambaugh.

Ramsey was charged with driving under the influence, obstructing an officer and a second offense of driving with a revoked license due to DUI, said Shambaugh.

Ramsey had been convicted of his first DUI offense on January 18, 2007, said Shambaugh. His license was revoked for driving under the influence on February 23, he said.

Town of Bath police arrested Ramsey for driving under the influence on January 6, said Bath Police Chief Jim Minton. Corporal C. Pearrell conducted that arrest, said Minton.