MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Police have arrested and charged the man they say is responsible for a wreck that killed two adults and a 5-month-old and left another child fighting for their life.
22-year-old Erik White appeared in court Monday facing a host of charges in connection to a deadly crash at the intersection of Delano and Overton Crossing in Frayser.
According to police, White was driving at a high rate of speed on James Road in Frayser on Jan. 14th.
Investigators say when White got to the intersection, he ran a red light and hit a car with a family inside.
The impact killed Jemeela Daniels and Andrew Meacham as well as their infant son Jameel. One-year-old Aydin Meacham was hospitalized at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital.
Police say data from White’s vehicle shows he was going over 90 mph at the time of the crash. The speed limit in that area is 40 mph.
White was originally booked into jail for driving with a suspended license, but was released. A warrant for his arrest was issued last week.
The mother of Jemeela Daniels said White’s arrest brings little comfort.
“Will I forgive him one day? Maybe…but today, no. What he did…it kind of put my life at a standstill. It’s going to be really hard to forgive Erik White,” Dalya Myers-Jenkins said.
On the same day White appeared in court, Aydin was released from Le Bonheur.
“He’s traumatized from the actual event that happened and right now he’s a work in progress because he has a lot of healing to do, emotionally and physically,” Myers-Jenkins said.
For people living and working in the area, the four-lane road has become more than a major traffic route through Frayser. There was another traffic tragedy on Saturday when a multi-vehicle, multi-pedestrian crash at Alta Vista and Overton Crossing killed three people.
White has been charged with three counts of vehicular homicide, reckless driving, and failure to exercise due care. He is being held on $15,000 bond and will be arraigned by a Shelby County judge Monday.
