A man accused of causing a fatal crash in June west of Houston is slated for a jury trial next month.
William R. White III, age 42, 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. He also is a defendant in a civil lawsuit.
White, who is held in the Texas County Jail, is to appear for a pre-trial conference on Nov. 18 in Texas County Circuit Court. The trial is set for Dec. 9-12 in Pulaski County on a change of venue.
White, of St. Louis, was driving a rented 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 where paving was underway. A passenger, Patricia Rosen, 79, of Bucyrus, was flown from the scene to Cox South. Huff was pronounced deceased at the scene. 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, which involved the delivery of Amazon packages. He had made a delivery at the U.S. Post Office at Hartville. A report says small pieces of marijuana — buds — were found near the driver’s seat.
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 was occurring, according to court documents.
The circumstances of the crash are now part of a civil lawsuit brought by heirs of Huff and Rosen, who sustained serious injuries. Defendants are White, AKU Best LLC, Amazon.com LLC, Amazon Logistics Inc. and Amazon.com Services LCC, Pace Construction Co. LLC and Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission. The lawsuit was filed recently in Texas County Circuit Court.
He would never have gotten a fair trial in HOUSTON MISSOURI. HE WAS RIGHT TO GET THE CHANGE OF VENUE FOR SURE. I PITY ANYONE HAVING TO DEAK WITH THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OR THE OFFICIALS WHO WORK IN THE GOVERNMENT ENTITIES. THIS COUNTY MAKES UP THEIR OWN RULES. THEY ARE OVER RAN WITH POLICIES AND WALK ALL OVER PPLS CIVIL RIGHTS. TEXAS COUNTY NEEDS TO KNOW THAT THEIR POLICIES DO NOT TRUMP OUR CONSTITUTION OR OUR RIGHTS. AND THE PPL OF THIS COUNTY NEED TO REALIZE THAT ONCE ANY GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL HAS BROKEN YOUR CIVIL RIGHTS . THEIR QUALIFIED IMMUNITY IS GONE. AND YOU CAN DEFEND YOURSELF EVEN IF THEY ARE LAW ENFORCEMENT. MY CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILY OF THE VICTIMS IN THIS HORRIBLE ACCIDENT. BUT IM NOT WRONG IN SAYING WHAT I SAID ABOUT THE CHANGE OF VENUE. BECAUSE THE MAN WOULDNT HAVE GOTTEN A FAIR TRIAL IN THAT COUNTY. WHATS SAD IS 9 TIMES OUT OF TEN ITS ONE OF THE SAME JUDGES RUNNING THAT COURT ROOM IN PULASKI COUNTY. KINDA LIKE THE FEDERAL CRIMES AGAINST SHERRIFF SIGMAN AND WHAT HE ALLOWED . And what’s truly scary is there getting ready to open up a training facility for cops in that area and I really do hope that these cops that they’re training are not trained by policy I really hope that they train these cops by constitutional law the law of the land