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A Gaithersburg, Md., man claiming to be a doctor who had just left work at City Hospital was charged with first-offense driving under the influence following a traffic stop on W.Va. 9 at New York Avenue Friday, police said.
After James Simmons was arrested, an inventory of his blue Honda Accord revealed a prescription bottle containing a razor blade, a straw and a small bag of white powder, which tested positive for cocaine, according to the Martinsburg Police Department.
At 2:13 a.m., a Martinsburg Police Department officer stopped the Honda after he noticed it traveling at a slow rate of speed, according to a news release.
During the stop, the officer said he could smell alcohol and that Simmons was disoriented, the release said.
Simmons stated that he was a doctor, that he had just left City Hospital and that he had made a wrong turn, the release said.
The officer contacted City Hospital and workers there said Simmons had left the hospital about 9:30 p.m. Thursday.
Simmons had four Mentos and another mint in his mouth in an attempt to mask the odor of alcohol and he failed three sobriety tests, the release said.
An Advil bottle containing Hydrocodone, Clonazepam, Adderall, Gabapentin, Viagra and an unidentified pill also was found in the vehicle, the release said.
Besides DUI, Simmons also was charged with four counts of possession of a controlled substance, the release said.
Teresa McCabe, spokeswoman for City Hospital, said Simmons is not a doctor and is not employed by WVU Hospitals-East, which operates City Hospital and Jefferson Memorial Hospital in Ranson, W.Va.
Simmons is employed by Diamond Healthcare in Virginia, which is a firm that is contracted to provide services for WVU Hospitals-East, McCabe said.