By Sarah Mansheim
A minor car accident led to major trouble last weekend, when a man shot another after their vehicles’ side mirrors clipped on Muddy Creek Mountain Road near Lewisburg. The incident happened early Saturday morning, Sept. 5, at about 1:30 a.m.
According to Greenbrier County Sheriff Jan Cahill, the two individuals were driving pickup trucks in opposite directions on the one-lane road when they clipped mirrors. Cahill said the accident itself was minor: “There was no transfer of paint,” he said.
One driver stopped because his mirror had shattered and the broken glass had entered the open driver’s side window. “He stopped to collect himself, and the other driver turned around,” said Cahill.
There was a confrontation, and the original driver pulled a weapon, shooting the other driver in the jaw area. The victim is currently receiving medical treatment at Charleston Area Medical Center.
“We’re sorting out the statements now,” said Cahill, “trying to figure out if (the shooter’s) actions were in a defensive gesture.
“The prosecutor will get the facts and he will decide whether or not to press charges,” he said. Cahill said that the shooter called 911 and remained at the scene after the incident.
The local television news station, WVNSTV Channel 59, has identified the victim as Junior Ray Holliday, but Cahill declined to confirm the identity of either individual. He said that despite rumors on Facebook, the shooter is not a law enforcement officer.
Cahill also did not indicate whether either individual had consumed alcohol before the incident, stating that medical records are being looked at as part of the investigation.
