Woman charged after allegedly driving while high on meth with 2 children and explosives in her vehicle in Upshur County

ROCK CAVE, W.Va. (WBOY) — A woman has been charged after allegedly driving while under the influence of meth in Upshur County while she had explosive devices with children in her vehicle.

On Sept. 10, deputies with the Upshur County Sheriff’s Department performed a traffic stop on a vehicle in the area of Gaines Road in Rock Cave for not having “registration lights illuminating the registration plate,” according to a criminal complaint.

When deputies spoke with the vehicle’s driver, identified as Ashley Galloway, 32, she “displayed extremely erratic movements and behavior” which deputies believed was “consistent with impairment by a stimulant such as methamphetamine,” deputies said.

Deputies also noted that Galloway had “physical movements [that] were ridged and uncontrollable, that she “was unable to follow simple directions continuously through the interaction” and that her “pupils were dilated and not responding to a light source appropriately,” according to the complaint.

After Galloway was asked to perform a series of sobriety tests, she “admitted to possessing a ‘straw’ in her wallet,” and when deputies located the straw, they noted it had “crystal-like residue in it,” deputies said.

Deputies performed a search and located a white container with methamphetamine inside; after deputies located the controlled substance, Galloway “became even more erratic and she began to scream about ‘bombs’ that were in the vehicle” with two juveniles, according to the complaint.

At that time, deputies located “two CO2 cartridges with a green ignition fuse protruding from the metal cartridge” which deputies stated were “a pipe bomb or similar device containing an explosive,” deputies said.

Deputies removed the children from the vehicle “due to the risk of injury by the destructive devices,” and Galloway stated that another individual “made the devices, has detonated several, and that she was planning to take the devices to the magistrate’s office,” according to the complaint.

After Galloway was taken to the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office, deputies administered three sobriety tests, during which time, “she showed numerous signs of impairment,” deputies said.

Galloway has been charged with child neglect, possession of an explosive device, DUI with a minor and a misdemeanor count of possession of methamphetamine. She is being held in Tygart Valley Regional Jail.

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