On July 1, 2015 at around 3:00 a.m. a crash was reported in the Kelly’s Creek area of eastern Kanawha County. One of four occupants of a wrecked Jeep called Metro 911. Deputies with the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched with first responders from several area volunteer fire departments and ambulances from the Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance Authority.
The location of the crash was not on Kelly’s Creek Road itself. The vehicle rolled over a hill from a dirt and mud path several hundred feet from an intersection with Five Mile Hollow Road. That intersection is about five miles from where Five Mile Hollow Road intersects with Kelly’s Creek Road. The caller said they were on their way to Devil’s Tea Table when the crash occurred.
The driver of the Jeep, Brandon Mooney (22 years old of Cedar Grove) was killed in the crash. There were three female passengers who survived their injuries and were taken to area hospitals.
It took first responders about forty minutes to locate the crash. The West Virginia State Police was readying their helicopter to assist with the search when VFD units on the ground located the scene.
The Jeep in which they were riding rolled over the hill repeatedly coming to rest approximately 300 vertical feet from the edge of the roadway. None of the occupants were wearing seatbelts. All were ejected during the rollover. The passengers were stranded about halfway between the road and the Jeep when firefighters found them. Those rescuing the passengers and investigating the crash had to use ropes to slow and control their descent and allow them to return to the roadway.
Alcoholic beverages were found in the vehicle, and may have been a contributing factor. The Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office is investigating. The investigation is being assisted by the agency’s Crash Reconstruction Unit.