Bluefield, West Virginia – What started as a report of illegal dumping quickly turned into a criminal investigation after a man was injured during a confrontation with trespassers on his father’s property in Bluefield.
According to the Bluefield Police Department, officers responded to 104 Mason Street on Tuesday evening after Robert Buchanan reported three people dumping trash on his family’s property. Buchanan informed dispatchers that he had blocked the suspects in with his vehicle and was attempting to stop them when the situation became dangerous.
When officers arrived, they discovered a Dodge truck partially down an embankment, with the female driver still behind the wheel and two male suspects frantically tossing trash back into the vehicle. Buchanan, who was visibly shaken, claimed that the driver struck him with the vehicle in an attempt to flee.
He told officers that he attempted to keep the group from leaving by positioning his truck in front of theirs. The driver, Michelle Brinkley, allegedly attempted to drive around Buchanan’s vehicle, trapping him between the two vehicles. When the truck reversed and tried again, it slid down the hill, becoming stuck.
Several bags of trash were discovered dumped over the embankment and inside the truck bed. Michelle Brinkley, Randall Mills, and Robert Daniels were all arrested on the scene.
Further investigation revealed that the Dodge truck was unregistered, uninsured, and lacked a valid inspection sticker. Brinkley was also found to be driving without a licence.
All three individuals face multiple environmental charges, including:
- Creating an open dump
- Endangering the environment through dumping
- Unlawful disposal of litter
Brinkley also faces several additional charges:
- Driving without a license
- No insurance
- Improper vehicle registration
- Leaving the scene of an accident causing property damage
- Leaving the scene of an accident causing bodily injury
Buchanan was examined by the Bluefield Rescue Squad, who discovered abrasions on his stomach and hand, as well as swelling on his fingers. He declined hospital transport at the time, citing his responsibilities as the sole caregiver for his elderly father, but said he would seek treatment later.