Parents arrested after Ivel crash involving drugs, kids

May 22--IVEL -- A car accident has resulted in two West Virginia parents being charged with endangering the welfare of a minor, after police say they were under the influence with three small children in the vehicle.

Benjamin C. Thompson, 33, of Lavalette, W.Va., and Tiffany N. Thompson, 28, of Charleston, W.Va., were involved in a three-car accident on U.S. 23 near Ivel.

Troopers with Kentucky State Police Post 9 responding to the crash say that Benjamin Thompson appeared impaired, and told them at the scene that he had been smoking marijuana and taking Suboxone and Xanax pills. Tiffany Thompson also allegedly admitted to taking Suboxone.

In the arrest warrant, the arresting officer states that at no point did Benjamin Thompson ask about the safety of the children. Those children have since been placed in foster care.

At the hospital, Benjamin Thompson asked police if he was going to jail, then reported told officers "he deserved to go to jail for driving like he was," the police report says.

Police were also unable to find any insurance on the pickup truck Benjamin Thompson was driving.

Benjamin Thompson currently faces charges for failure to produce insurance, failure to maintain required insurance, having no or expired registration, and three charges of endangering the welfare of a minor. Tiffany Thompson was charged with public intoxication and three charges of endangering the welfare of a minor.

The Thompsons are each being held on $5,000 cash bonds.

___

(c)2014 The Floyd County Times (Prestonsburg, Ky.)

Visit The Floyd County Times (Prestonsburg, Ky.) at www.floydcountytimes.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services