Driver in 2021 Thanksgiving Day fatal accident sentenced to 18 years in prison

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Demiko Montrell White, Jr., 24, has been sentenced to 18 years in state prison after entering a plea of nolo contendere to two counts of driving under the influence causing death (DUI manslaughter), driving without a valid license as a habitual offender, and possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana. Two counts of vehicular homicide and a charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon were dropped in the plea agreement. White was sentenced to four years on one DUI manslaughter charge and 11 years on the second DUI manslaughter charge, followed by three years for the marijuana possession charge. He was sentenced to time served (273 days) on the charge of driving without a valid license.

The charges are related to a crash on I-75 on Thanksgiving morning in 2021 that killed two High Springs residents, a 13-year-old girl and an 83-year-old woman.

According to a release from Florida Highway Patrol, at about 10:40 a.m., White was driving a black sedan south in the center lane on I-75 at mile marker 397. The sedan tried to change lanes into the right lane and struck the left side of a semi truck. At the time, an SUV was traveling south in the left lane; the passengers in the SUV were a family from High Springs, including a 55-year-old man, a 50-year-old woman, the 13-year-old, and the 83-year-old.

When the sedan struck the semi truck, it swerved toward the left lane and struck the right rear of the SUV, which caused the SUV to swerve onto the shoulder and overturn several times, resulting in the fatalities.

In spite of having an outstanding warrant out of Orange County, White was released on $15,000 bond four days after the accident.

A Florida Highway Patrol investigation determined that White was under the influence of marijuana at the time of the crash; an arrest warrant was issued on December 15, 2021, and on January 6, 2022, White had contact with members of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, who arrested him on the warrant and added two counts of resisting arrest without violence.

Assistant State Attorney Daniel Ley represented the State of Florida in the case, and Judge William Davis presided over the court hearing and sentenced White.