When investigators arrived at a tragic accident west of Houston on Monday they smelled the strong odor of marijuana emitting from the cab of a box truck.
Its driver, William Roy White III, had been involved in a horrific accident that killed the driver of an SUV and left a passenger with critical injuries. First responders were on the scene for hours.
White was later transported to Texas County Memorial Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. While there, a Missouri State Highway Patrol officer administered a blood-alcohol test that showed a .026 percent reading, below the legal limit of intoxication. He noted he didn’t notice any signs of impairment from White’s hospital bed. A search warrant was later issued to obtain a blood test. Those results are unknown.
White, 41, of St. Louis, was driving a southbound 2021 International box truck that struck a 2014 red Dodge Journey, operated by Lonnie Huff, 80, of Bucyrus, in the rear. The SUV was stopped in a Missouri Department of Transportation construction zone. A passenger, Patricia Rosen, 79, of Bucyrus, was flown from the scene to Cox South. The accident occurred north of the Dogs Bluff bridge on Route 17 northwest of Houston.
White’s eyes were red and dilated, a state patrol officer noted when he walked to the suspect’s hospital bed. White told the officer that he recalled the truck’s seat was bouncing and the next thing he recalled was waking up in an ambulance. He couldn’t remember any construction signs, he told the officer. He said he’d drunk alcohol on Father’s Day, the previous day, and smoked marijuana. He denied smoking pot in the vehicle, adding he kept it “professional” while at work. A report says small pieces of marijuana — buds — were found near the driver’s seat.
White is now held in the Texas County Jail on a $50,000 cash bond. He is charged with DWI involving a death, first-degree involuntary manslaughter, DWI involving serious physical injury, second-degree assault and armed criminal action. All are felonies. White is to appear for a formal arraignment on July 15.
As the patrol conducted its investigation, a witness said the truck, which was headed to Houston, never braked. Another person said he saw the truck round a corner, and it looked like the driver had a cellular telephone in his hand and was waving his hands. A MoDOT worker said he was nearly hit while holding a stop sign where asphalt paving is occurring, according to court documents.
White has had run-ins with the law before. In May 2003, he pled guilty to first-degree robbery in St. Louis County for a crime in October 2002.
Services announced
Services for Mr. Huff are 1 p.m. Saturday at Evans Funeral Home. Visitation is noon until service time. Burial is at 2:15 p.m. at Old Success Cemetery, Success Road.