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Arrests & Court · Kingwood, W.Va.

Two Tunnelton men indicted in fatal Christmas Eve dirt bike crash

A Preston County grand jury indicted Dwight Younker, 20, and Elbert Vaughn Jackson, 21, accusing them of racing dirt bikes while impaired in a crash that killed an Arthurdale man, the Preston County News & Journal reported. Charges are allegations, and all suspects are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

GCN Staff· ·2 min read
GCN text card: Two indicted in fatal Christmas Eve dirt bike crash, Tunnelton men accused of racing while impaired on Route 26
Image: Garrett County News graphic

KINGWOOD, W.Va. — Two Tunnelton men have been indicted on multiple felony charges after a Christmas Eve crash in Preston County that killed an Arthurdale man and seriously injured two others, the Preston County News & Journal reported.

A Preston County grand jury returned separate indictments against Dwight Younker, 20, and Elbert Vaughn Jackson, 21, both of Tunnelton, according to the newspaper, which cited Preston County Prosecuting Attorney Jay Shay.

The indictments allege the two men were street racing dirt bikes against each other on Route 26 and other public roads in Preston County on or about Dec. 24, 2025, while under the influence of alcohol or with a blood alcohol content of 0.08% or higher.

According to the indictments, the race and the men's "deliberate disregard for safety" caused a crash that killed Dakota Lee Sines and seriously injured Kemper Nelson. Jackson is also accused of seriously injuring Younker.

Sines, 31, of Arthurdale, was a coal miner and father, according to his obituary.

The Preston County Sheriff's Office said at the time that deputies were sent to a crash on Route 26 near Senior Drive in Tunnelton at about 1:04 a.m. on Dec. 24. One man was pronounced dead at the scene and two others were hurt, WBOY 12 News reported.

Both men are charged with:

  • DUI causing death
  • DUI causing serious bodily injury (two counts for Jackson, one for Younker)
  • Aggravated vehicular homicide
  • Felony conspiracy
  • Racing on streets and highways, a misdemeanor

The case went directly to the grand jury rather than through magistrate court. Both men have been summoned to appear for arraignment in Preston County Circuit Court in Kingwood at 9 a.m. Nov. 2, the News & Journal reported.

Charges are allegations. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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