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A recently elected mayor of a small town in Virginia was arrested Tuesday after allegedly showing up to a train derailment site while intoxicated, according to local reports.
Paul Morrison, the 57-year-old mayor of Rich Creek, was taken into custody on a charge of public intoxication, according to the New River Valley Regional Jail.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Morrison apologized for any inconvenience or embarrassment his actions may have caused.
"To my Family, the First Responders, the Town’s Employees, Town Council and the residents of Rich Creek, I would like to offer apologies for my state and any actions on 04/28 at the railroad incident," he said. "I regret any inconvenience as well as embarrassment this may have caused. I am truly sorry to have let you down and can assure you that nothing like this will happen again."
Rich Creek Mayor Paul Morrison was arrested after reportedly arriving to a train wreck seen inebriated. (Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg/New River Valley Regional Jail)
The train derailment occurred in the afternoon near Rich Creek, which sits along the border of West Virginia and Virginia, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) said.
The agency added that portions of the incident were reported inside West Virginia and that the train belonged to Norfolk Southern Railway.
Contaminants of soybean oil had reportedly leaked. Officials confirmed it was considered non-hazardous and that crews are conducting recovery operations.
After the incident, Morrison reportedly showed up intoxicated, WSLS reported, citing sources.
He was subsequently arrested in the evening at around 8:19 p.m. by deputies with the Giles County Sheriff’s Office, according to officials.
Details of what led to the incident and Morrison’s arrest are not immediately clear.
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A trains travel alongside a river. (Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis)
He was taken to the New River Valley Regional Jail and later released on his own recognizance, the facility said.
Morrison is the mayor of a small, historic town with a population of roughly 750 people.
A parked patrol vehicle. (Lawrence County Sheriff's Department)
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He reportedly became mayor in November after a write-in campaign. Out of 106 votes cast, 77 residents manually wrote in Morrison’s name, according to local outlet Cardinal News.
His victory follows a recent leadership shakeup in the small community, where five of six Rich Creek Town Council members, as well as the previous mayor appointed in early 2025, abruptly resigned, the outlet reported.
Former Mayor Anne Chambers said her resignation came after internal conflicts and a hostile work environment reached a breaking point, according to Cardinal News.
Fox News Digital reached out to Rich Creek, Giles County Sheriff’s Office and the New River Valley Regional Jail for more information.
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