Home › News › County News
Man accused in fatal crash is rearraigned
STORY TOOLS
More from County News
Jeremy White, who is accused of killing a Phoenix man and severely injuring a California Highway Patrol officer last year in a collision on Highway 101 near Ventura, was rearraigned Monday in Ventura County Superior Court, according to the District Attorney's Office.
White, 20, of Paso Robles, is in custody under $500,000 bail.
He is facing three felony counts — gross vehicular manslaughter; driving under the influence, causing an injury and refusing to take a chemical test; and selling or transporting marijuana.
Also, he faces several allegations including causing great bodily injury resulting in brain injury and paralysis, and causing injury or death to more than one victim.
Forensic scientists testified at a preliminary hearing on April 1 that blood tests indicated the drug Ecstasy was in White's blood, in addition to marijuana.
Prosecutor Scott Hendrickson had said in an interview that a suspect is rearraigned after his preliminary hearing.
White pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The collision killed Andreas Parra, 20, and critically injured CHP motorcycle officer Anthony Pedeferri, 36.
Pedeferri, an 11-year veteran of the CHP and an accomplished triathlete, is in a hospital for rehabilitation, officials said.
Two seriously injured in motorcycle crash
Two Sylmar residents were in serious condition Monday at Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center in Thousand Oaks after their motorcycle collided with a vehicle Sunday on the Pacific Coast Highway.
Authorities on Monday were still investigating the cause of the accident, which occurred about 5:45 p.m. near the Ventura County line and the Neptune's Net restaurant.
Bruce Rosenberg, 44, and Patty Harper, 45, suffered serious injuries, according to the Ventura County Sheriff's Department. Further details were not available.
Posted by Equitable_Enforcer on April 15, 2008 at 11:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Another case where medical marijuana was reportedly involved, at least in one article I'd read. I'd like to see Adam Foxman do a story on medical marijuana. Check out "patients" at a clinic. How did they get prescriptions? Was the reason for using prescribed marijuana somehow contradictory to lifestyle, i.e., using it for "pain," yet riding motorcycles? Just curious.
Posted by shaver_one on April 15, 2008 at 11:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Expect the "Twinkie" defense from White's attorney.
"The over-abundance of Ecstacy and marijuana caused my client to temporarily lose his cognitive abilities. Temporary insanity. Your honor, Jeremy is a good kid, and he wouldn't knowingly hurt anybody..."
Posted by meander on April 15, 2008 at 11:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
where does it say that the marijuana was "medical"? just curious...
Posted by Robert_Worthley on April 15, 2008 at 2:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I can answer for TimeArrow. I, too, am following this case closely. The following, extracted from an earlier Star article, is from White's attorney following testimony by three forensic scientists at White's preliminary hearing:
==============================
In addition, Gamble said, White has a medical prescription for marijuana.
"He is a very heavy user of marijuana because he had back injuries," Gamble said.
==============================
I see what Time Arrow was getting at. Medical marijuana because of back injuries ... yet able to ride a motorcycle.
And ... there was Ecstasy in his blood.
Posted by smithjc on April 15, 2008 at 6:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
maybe i missed something, but i believe that white was driving a pickup or suv when he ("allegedly") caused the collision that killed someone and injured the chp motor officer. i didn't see anything about white riding a motorcycle.
from what i can tell, the star combined two stories, with the second being about motorcyclists being injured, but there is no mention of drug use for that collision (still being investigated).
Posted by Equitable_Enforcer on April 16, 2008 at 8:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
smithjc, they were returning home with a motorcycle in the pickup. The driver, who had a high concentration of marijuana and also ecstacy in his blood, was a regular motorcycle rider. I've had back pain for most of my life ... but it didn't keep me from serving 22 years in the military nor did it drive me to taking marijuana or any other drug for the pain. There are alternatives ... and as you see from the TV commercials, there is now a pill for anything and everything. Medical marijuana is just another one of those pills.
Posted by smithjc on April 16, 2008 at 11:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
ok, thanks. that info re the m/c wasn't in this article. that's wherein lies the (my) confusion.
Posted by tsetsaf on April 16, 2008 at 5 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What is scary is that people drive around in this type of altered state all the time. What huge tragedy.
(Requires free registration.)
Article discussions on this site are to support community debates of issues related to our stories and editorials.
Discussions should not stray from the subject of the story or editorial.
We do not allow the following:
We reserve the right to delete threads and/or ban users for these or other reasons we deem necessary.
Opinions are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.