County man charged in fatal crash in May
Published 11:33 am Wednesday, August 5, 2015
![TRAGIC: Culkin volunteer firefighter Shane Garrard, left, and Warren County fire coordinator Jerry Briggs work the scene of a fatal two-vehicle wreck on Oak Ridge Road in May.](https://www.vicksburgpost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2015/08/080515-wreck-js7.jpg)
TRAGIC: Culkin volunteer firefighter Shane Garrard, left, and Warren County fire coordinator Jerry Briggs work the scene of a fatal two-vehicle wreck on Oak Ridge Road in May.
A Warren County man accused of causing an alcohol-related crash in May that killed two people was held without bail Tuesday.
Joseph White, 31, who lists addresses on Oak Ridge and Falk Steel roads, surrendered at noon Monday at the Warren County Sheriff’s office after indictment by the July term of the grand jury for two counts of aggravated DUI causing injury or death, Sheriff Martin Pace said.
White was not arrested following the May 8 crash that killed William Harvey Raney, 56, and John Harold Raney, 52, both of 386 Murray Road because the sheriff’s office was waiting on toxicology reports, Pace said.
“We got the blood alcohol test back from the crime lab on Thursday when the grand jury was still in session. The case was presented to the grand jury,” Pace said.
The indictment against White does not list his blood alcohol level at the time of the crash. The maximum legal blood alcohol content for an adult to drive a noncommercial vehicle in Mississippi is .08.
A warrant was issued for White’s arrest Friday during the first round of arraignments.
White was southbound on Oak Ridge Road when his 2012 GMC Sierra collided with the Raney’s northbound 1985 GM van at about 6 p.m. May 8.
“An accident reconstruction conducted by the Warren County Sheriff’s Office showed that Mr. White’s vehicle was traveling in excess of the posted speed limit when he crossed into the northbound lane, hitting the victim’s van head on,” Pace said.
White was also injured in the crash and taken to University of Mississippi Medical Center. Vicksburg and Culkin firefighters had to use the Jaws of Life to cut all three men out of their vehicles, Pace said.
If convicted, White faces between five and 25 years in prison for each count against him.
White was held Thursday in the Warren County Jail awaiting arraignment in Circuit Court before Judge Isadore Patrick. The next round of arraignments are set for 9 a.m. Friday, Aug. 14.