Woman charged with vehicular homicide in fatal February crash

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Shanekia Juanita Whitley, 34, has been arrested and charged with vehicular homicide after her car allegedly hit another car on Williston Road in February, resulting in the death of a man in the other car.

At about 9:36 p.m. on February 4, Whitley was allegedly driving in the 30 block of SE Williston Road when she crested a hill at 96 mph and hit a car that was traveling at the speed limit of 45 mph. The investigating officer also determined that she failed to maintain a single lane of travel and hit the driver’s side of the victim’s car with the passenger side of her vehicle.

The impact pushed the victim’s car off the roadway and into a tree. The driver had to be extricated from the car and succumbed to his injuries a few hours later.

A witness reportedly said that Whitley was the driver and lone occupant of her car.

The officer reported that the roadway was wet at the time of the crash, and there is no lighting in the area of the crash. The investigation found that Whitley drove in a reckless manner, given her speed and the conditions, and her actions resulted in the death of the victim.

A warrant for her arrest was issued by Judge William Davis on June 20, setting bail at $100,000. She has one misdemeanor conviction (non-violent). Whitley has been released from the jail.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 

  • The smiling jail photo says it all. She probably doesn’t care and has no remorse for her actions.

    • I’ve never hit a woman but her homicide mugshot makes me wanna smack the hell out of her.

    • Exactly. I thought the same thing….she seems happy about it……and she’s out of jail.

    • This is the wrong mugshot this is seriously ridiculous and need revising.

      • Check the current booking photo. Sorry but your girl is still smiling

        • The photo was different, her hair was black and she was crying when they dropped the article they changed her picture. When I commented the mugshot photo was also changed to this one. It’s not the right mugshot.

      • Frankly, it’s still a mug shot and she still looks smug and totally unrepentant.

    • She’s got privilege though…
      She used to anyway. That’s what having a driver’s license is.

  • This isn’t the mugshot the editor is trying to paint a picture and it’s truly disgusting. What happened was sad and unfortunate but she was not smiling this photo is old and for something else.

    • Bricks
      What’s sad and tragic is that her stupid driving killed an innocent person.
      Quit blaming others.

      • Who is blaming anyone for what happened without a doubt it’s sad and her actions did result in a life being loss and she will deal with the repercussions I’m pointing out the fact that media is playing a sick game to make it appear she took this as a joke by falsely representing her in a mugshot that was not for this incident. They didn’t have that energy when that white man shot and killed a man on Mother’s Day and then threatened a teenage girl with a firearm. There is no need for the extra manipulation the facts are the facts and that’s disgusting to do in such an unfortunate situation. This shows the local media is not to be trusted simple as that.

    • Do You Understand “It” “SHE” “THEY” Killed a person.

  • Now that I’ve commented the photo has been changed such a sick game the local media plays

      • This was not the mugshot she was literally crying and the hair color didn’t match this photo I’ve been following this. I do not know her so I’m not taking up for her local media is being messy they control the narrative.

    • You are the SICKO, a person was killed. And was it wrong with society.

        • Sorry, what I meant to say was “and that is what is wrong with society”, “Bricks” is focusing on the wrong thing. Trying to deflect from what happened. No report of did she stop and render aid.

  • Smiling or not I wouldn’t want to be her insurance company. I’m guessing her vehicle broke down due to the crash as well or else why would she stay at the scene? Adulting is hard, I know… Remember, if you stay you pay, if you flee it’s free!

  • Those eyelashes probably blinded her. She looks like the of star of a drag show.

  • Seems a lot of folks are focused on this picture and I’ll give ya, it’s a doozy, but it’s not really relevant. What IS relevant is that: she was doing 96 MPH on wet roads and that her recklessness killed another human being.

  • I don’t understand 96mph in a 45mph.
    result is accident.
    Innocent person is dead.
    Corruption of today ⚖️let her out to …
    My head hurts thinking this .

  • I think this is the fourth vehicular homicide that Judge Davis is currently presiding over. Regardless if there’s a change of plea, I hope this woman has to do 120 hours of community service in a trauma center getting a good look at accident victims, cleaning up their blood, and hauling their remains to the hospital’s morgue.

  • >