Man Charged with Vehicular Manslaughter In Death Of High Springs Residents

ALACHUA COUNTY ‒ The person allegedly responsible for a three-vehicle crash on Thanksgiving morning that resulted in the deaths of two High Springs residents and serious injury to a third person has been charged in the Interstate 75 crash that occurred just south of the Alachua exit at mile marker 397.

Demiko Montrell White, Jr. 24, has been charged with two counts of vehicular manslaughter – negligent, two counts of DUI vehicular manslaughter – negligent driving with a suspended driver’s license – habitual offender and marijuana possession, on top of the existing charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), the crash occurred at about 10:40 a.m. at which time a 23-year-old (at the time) St. Petersburg man with a 21-year-old male passenger, also of St. Petersburg, was driving a black sedan south in the center lane on I-75. The driver of the sedan attempted to change lanes into the right lane and struck the left side of a semi truck driven by a 38-year-old Clermont man.

At the same time, an SUV, driven by a 55-year-old man was traveling south in the left lane with a 50-year-old woman, a 13-year-old girl and an 83-year-old woman as passengers. The driver and passengers were all from High Springs.

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. The driver of the SUV sustained minor injuries, but the 50-year-old woman sustained serious injuries.

Despite having an outstanding warrant out of Orange County, White was released on $15,000 bond four days after the crash. Following FHP’s investigation, an arrest warrant was issued on Dec. 15, 2021. On Jan. 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.

According to the arrest report from Pinellas County, White refused to get on the ground when ordered by detectives. The report states that White refused to follow clear commands from deputies wearing clearly marked clothing and turned away, walking toward an elevator. Several deputies took him to the ground, where he continued to resist by tensing and bracing, refusing to comply with orders to give deputies his hands. Following a brief struggle, White was taken into custody.

Because the arrest violated his pretrial custody agreement, his bond on the previous Alachua County charge was revoked and bond was then set at $1,021,000 on the new charges. White was transferred to the Orange County Jail on Jan. 25, where he remains. He is scheduled to be in court in Alachua County on April 4.

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