Whitley County deputies arrest man indicted on manslaughter, assault charges

A Whitley County man indicted on a manslaughter charge in connection with a fatal wreck during the 2017 Labor Day weekend was arrested Tuesday.

Whitley County Sheriff’s Deputy Jonas Saunders arrested 38-year-old Joshua Lee Woods of Rockholds after locating him at a residence on Phoebe Fork Road, off of Ky. 26.

“Deputy Jonas Saunders had been attempting to locate Woods since the indictment was returned two weeks ago,” officials with the sheriff’s department noted in a press release.

The single-vehicle wreck occurred about 2 a.m. on September 3 on Flat Creek Road in Rockholds, resulting in the death of 25-year-old Laura Carter.

According to officials from the sheriff’s department, Woods was driving a pickup truck when he failed to navigate a curve. After running off the road, the pickup truck overturned multiple times.

Carter was alive following the wreck, but was pronounced dead on arrival at Baptist Health Corbin.

A second passenger in the vehicle, James Carter, Laura’s father, had to be extricated from the rear cab where he had been sitting.

According to the arrest citation, Woods was unsteady on his feet, had slurred speech, pinpoint pupils and could not complete the one-legged stand or the nine-step walk and turn field sobriety tests.

Woods was initially charged with DUI, reckless homicide, operating a motor vehicle on a suspended or revoked operators license, leaving the scene of an accident/failure to render aid or assistance, failure to maintain insurance, no registration.

Woods was lodged in the Whitley County Detention Center.

Woods was released on November 24 after posted a $50,000 cash bond.

The indictment was returned December 8.

Woods now faces charges of second-degree manslaughter, first-degree assault, operating a motor vehicle while under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident and operating on a suspended license.

Woods is being held in the detention center on a $25,000 cash bond.