Man charged in wife's car accident death

GREENVILLE, Mo. -- A Clubb, Mo., man was charged earlier this week with causing the death of his wife, who, at the time, was riding in his car when he crashed it near Greenville. Daniel J. White, 27, was charged Monday with felony first-degree involuntary manslaughter by Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney Robert Ramshur. The complaint on file with the court alleges on Sept. 12, White, "while intoxicated, caused the death of Brenda White by running off the roadway [and] striking a culvert and trees when operating a motor vehicle with criminal negligence in that [he] failed to maintain the motor vehicle on the right half of the roadway." Associate Circuit Judge Randy Schuller issued a warrant for White's arrest, which was served at 2:20 p.m. Monday at his residence. White also was arrested on a St. Francois County failure to appear warrant for possession of marijuana. He was booked at the Wayne County Jail, where he is being held on $25,000 cash bond. He is to appear today before Schuller for arraignment on the charge.

The charge stems from a crash investigated by Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Michael Carson, which occurred at about 8:10 p.m. Sept. 12 on U.S. 67, about two-and-one-half miles north of Greenville, and left Brenda White, 48, dead.

Although Daniel White told Carson he had swerved to miss a deer, the initial accident investigation revealed his 2001 Daewoo was northbound when it ran off the roadway and struck a culvert, as well as several trees, Carson said in his probable cause affidavit.

"While speaking with White, I noticed he was having difficulty keeping his balance, almost falling down several times," Carson said. "White's speech was slurred and he mumbled at times."

Daniel White, according to Carson, appeared intoxicated; however, "I could not smell any alcohol on his person."

When Carson asked Daniel White whether he had taken any prescription medications, he answered affirmatively.

While on the scene, Carson said, he asked Daniel White to perform a series of field-sobriety tests.

"Upon the conclusion of the tests, it was my opinion White was impaired by drugs," Carson said.

After Daniel White's arrest, Carson said, Patrol Trooper Richard Ayers subsequently conducted a drug recognition expert interview at the Wayne County Sheriff's Department.

"During the interview, White admitted to me he had purchased a 20-rock of crack cocaine earlier in the evening and had smoked crack cocaine and marijuana before the accident," Carson explained. "White also admitted to taking several types of medications during the day, including Zoloft and Hydrocodones."

Carson said officers found a suspected glass crack pipe and a small rock of crack cocaine during their investigation.

Daniel White earlier was charged with felony of possession of a controlled substance. He is to appear at 9 a.m. Friday before Schuller for a preliminary hearing on that charge.

Pertinent address:

Clubb, MO

Greenville, MO