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Alcohol contributes to man’s drowning death

By Steve Ferris 3 min read

A jury in a Fayette County coroner’s inquest into the April drowning death of Glenn A. Burris Jr. of Greensboro ruled Thursday that alcohol was a contributing factor in his death. Burris, 37, of 393 Bunham Road fell into the rain-swollen Dunkard Creek in Dunkard Township in Greene County on April 17 and was pulled from the Monongahela River near Martin in Fayette County, about a mile from the creek, on April 28.

State Trooper James B. Custer, the only person who testified, said he learned Burris visited his girlfriend in Bobtown at 1 p.m. on April 17 and did some chores around her house.

He left and went to the Bobtown Rod and Gun Club, where he had a number drinks before leaving at 8 p.m.

His next stop was the Brass Rail bar in Point Marion. He left there between 11 p.m. and midnight, and the bartender said Burris did not appear to be drunk when he left, Custer said.

The bartender was subpoenaed, but did not show up for the inquest.

Custer said the bartender at the gun club told him that Burris telling jokes and laughing with other patrons, and seemed to be in good spirits.

In February, Burris lost his job at a mine.

Custer said that his girlfriend reported that he occasionally got upset of losing his job, but was looking for a new job.

He left the Brass Rail traveling north on Route 88. Two miles away there is a sharp left hand curve where state police at Waynesburg said they have had a number of fatal accidents, Custer said.

That curve is where Burris’s car left the road, went over an embankment along the creek and got stuck there.

He said Burris lived in the area and was probably familiar with the curve.

“I’m sure he was no stranger to that highway,” Custer said.

Custer said he believes Burris walked around to the front of the car to see how badly he was stuck, but slipped and fell into the fast-moving creek.

Burris was wearing smooth-bottom cowboy boots and the keys to his car were found in his pants pocket, the trooper said.

He said his family did not report him missing, believing that he was hiding out to avoid getting into trouble for the accident.

A man who lives near the sharp curve reported hearing tires skidding around midnight, but didn’t report it or go outside to investigate because he regularly hears that sound, Custer said.

Barry Lee Bryner, who was working with other men on the Norfolk Southern Railroad tracks near Martin, saw the body in the river and called 9-1-1.

Custer read a statement from Bryner to the jury and Bryner said the statement was accurate.

The place where Burris fell into the creek is about 100 feet from the confluence with the river, Custer said.

Coroner Phillip E. Reilly said Burris drowned, but blood alcohol tests were not conducted.

He such tests are difficult to conduct when a body has been in the water that long and there were no signs of foul play.

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