Nelson County woman in jail after flashing gun at rescuers

A Schuyler woman is behind bars following a traffic crash in Nelson County Saturday evening that ended with her pointing a gun at rescuers. Samantha D. Tyree-Vest, 25, of Schuyler, Va., was charged with 1^st offense DUI, reckless handling of a firearm, brandishing a firearm, and possession of brass knuckles. The incident remains under investigation.

At approximately 5 p.m., Virginia State Police Senior Trooper E.D. Everhart was called to the scene of a single-vehicle crash at the intersection of Route 6 and Route 639. A 1991 Ford Taurus traveling east on Route 6 ran off the right side of the road and up an embankment.

The Faber Volunteer Fire Department was first to arrive on scene. As fire department personnel approached the Taurus to render aid to its driver, the woman pulled out a handgun and pointed it at them. The woman finally complied with their commands and dropped the weapon, just moments before the trooper arrived on scene. No shots were fired at the volunteer fire and EMS personnel. The female driver was not injured in the crash.

During the course of the crash investigation, the woman became combative and was finally placed under arrest and, with the assistance of the Nelson County Sheriff’s Office, transported to the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail. A search of the woman’s purse revealed a set of brass knuckles also in her possession.