Story Archive

Sleeping on the Job

Police in West Columbia, S.C., responded to a report of a driver asleep in his car. When they arrived at the scene, officers found Barry Wright unconscious, with an alleged open, cold can of beer next to him. When asked about the beer, Wright allegedly responded, “I thought I was at the house.” During questioning, Wright allegedly said he had drunk one beer and had bought the other 24 ounce beer, but “didn’t know how it was opened.” According to officers, Wright was stumbling, had slurred speech, and smelled of alcohol. He was arrested for driving under the influence after he refused a field sobriety test. He later allegedly told officers not to throw away the beers because they were “from a death scene yesterday” — Wright, a Lexington County Deputy Coroner, has resigned. (MS/WLTX Columbia) ...I thought it was the bodies that were cold, not the beer.