MT. VERNON – A Centralia man was arrested Sunday morning for abandoning his vehicle that was later struck by a train at the railroad crossing on North Tank Lane in rural Jefferson County.
Thirty-eight-year-old Dustin Wangler was taken into custody by Jefferson County Sheriff’s Deputies at 3:54 a.m. on charges of driving under the influence of an intoxicating compound, leaving the scene of an accident, and resisting/obstructing an officer.
Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Bullard said his office received a call from the Centralia Police Department, who had gotten a call from an acquaintance of Wangler’s around 3:03 a.m. Sunday. The acquaintance said that Wangler told the subject over the phone that he was walking away from his vehicle and asking for a ride home. The acquaintance did so and this led Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputies to make contact with Wangler and make the arrest.
The investigation is currently ongoing. No injuries were reported.