DWI crash injures one
Tue, 12/03/2024 - 12:20pm
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By:
Nate Hudson, staff writer
A crash early Sunday morning left one person arrested and another in the hospital. West Plains Police responded to the scene of the crash -- the intersection of Girdley Street and Porter Wagoner Boulevard, at roughly 1:25 am on November 24, according to court documents.
Police arrived and found a white Kia Optima, driven by Virgil Vermillion, 66, with moderate damage to the driver-side front end of the vehicle. Vermillion spoke with police, saying he was traveling north on Porter Wagoner Blvd when a truck pulled out in front of him and struck his vehicle. He said his traffic light was green, and the truck that hit him was traveling westbound. Vermillion told police his head and body were hurting and, while emergency medical personnel were conducting an evaluation, the man became uneasy and nearly fell, then began shaking uncontrollable. He was taken to Ozarks Healthcare for medical treatment. Police later learned Vermillion was air-lifted to another hospital with a spinal injury, concussion, and was unable to walk.
Police found the truck and other driver in the rear parking lot of Morlan Shell Ford. Police found 19-year-old Dylan Taylor Anderson in the rear of the truck and questioned her in the patrol vehicle. Anderson told police she had been travelling westbound on Girdley Street at the red signal and decided to run the light. Vermillion, with the right-of-way, then struck her vehicle.
Police Officer Daiman Meyer noted in court documents that Anderson smelled of intoxicants. She said she had “a few” drinks earlier that night, later saying she had consumed a six-pack of beer. In a preliminary breath test, Anderson's results provided a result of 0.157%. The legal limit for drivers under 21 in Missouri is 0.02%.
Dylan Anderson was arrested and has been charged with felony DWI – serious physical injury and armed criminal action. She was released from jail on a $10,000 surety bond and was scheduled for a bond appearance hearing on Dec. 2 before Judge Robert Ray at the Howell County Courthouse.