Lawmakers Ask for Harsher Drug Laws After Crash Near Park

West Virginia lawmakers are calling for harsher drug laws following a possible overdose-related car crash that stopped feet away from a playground.

Sen. Mike Woelfel, D-Cabell, tells The Huntington Herald-Dispatch that he wants to create a “punishment that fits the crime.”

The executive director of Greater Huntington Park and Recreation District, Kevin Brady, says he’s working with a law firm to draft a bill extending crime penalty enhancements for schools and parks. And the newspaper reports that Cabell County legislators already are on board.

Thirty-four-year-old Tabitha Wyrick’s car smashed into a light pole near a park earlier this month. She was treated with an overdose-fighting drug and charged with driving under the influence. 33-year-old Bradley Stephen Wyrick also was treated and charged with possession of a controlled substance.