The recently elected mayor of a small Virginia town was arrested Tuesday for allegedly showing up drunk at the scene of a train derailment, according to local reports.
Rich Creek Mayor Paul Morrison, 57, was taken into custody on a charge of public intoxication, WSLS reported, citing jail records.
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) said the train derailment occurred in the afternoon near Rich Creek near the West Virginia-Virginia border.
The agency added that some of the incidents were reported within West Virginia and that the train was owned by Norfolk Southern Railroad.
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A locomotive pulls a Norfolk Southern train through a cut in Superior, West Virginia, on October 19, 2017.
(Getty Images)
Soybean oil contaminants have reportedly leaked. Officials confirmed the incident was deemed non-threatening and crews were carrying out a rescue operation.
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Morrison, who was allegedly drunk after the incident, was arrested by deputies with the Giles County Sheriff’s Office, WSLS reported, citing sources.
Details leading up to the incident and Morrison’s arrest are unclear.
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The train runs along the river.
The outlet added that he was taken to the New River Valley Regional Jail and later released on his own recognizance, according to jail records.
Morrison is the mayor of a historic town with a population of about 750 people.
A parked patrol car.
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He reportedly became mayor in November after a campaign. According to local media Cardinal News, 77 residents handwritten Morrison’s name on the 106 ballots cast.
His victory follows a recent leadership shake-up in the small community, with five of the six Rich Creek Town Council members and the previous mayor who was appointed in early 2025 suddenly resigning, the outlet reported.
Former Mayor Anne Chambers said her resignation came after internal conflict and a hostile work environment reached a breaking point, the Cardinal News reported.
Fox News Digital reached out to Rich Creek, the Giles County Sheriff’s Office and the New River Valley Regional Jail for more information.
Original source of the article: Virginia town mayor reportedly arrested for allegedly attending train derailment drunk