MARIANNA, Fla. — A jury has found a man guilty in a deadly 2021 crash that killed two women and seriously injured another driver, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.
David Wayne Weddle, 60, was convicted Friday night of two counts of DUI manslaughter and one count of DUI with serious bodily injury. Circuit Court Judge Ana Maria Garcia set sentencing for May 4.
The charges stem from a September 5, 2021 crash at the intersection of El Bethel Church Road and Highway 90.
Prosecutors said Weddle was driving southbound when he ran a stop sign and struck the passenger side of a Cadillac traveling westbound on Highway 90. The impact pushed the Cadillac into the eastbound lane, where it collided with a Jeep.
Both women inside the Cadillac were killed. The driver of the Jeep suffered critical injuries, including two broken legs, and was airlifted for treatment.
“In my peripheral vision I see this burgundy car… and he just never stopped, he never stopped,” the Jeep driver testified. “It hit the side of the (Cadillac) and pushed it over and hit me. It was a bad wreck; it happened so fast.”
Assistant Chief Prosecutor Mark Graham told jurors the evidence showed Weddle was under the influence at the time of the crash.
“All the evidence in this case points to the defendant being drunk, running a stop sign, and killing two people and seriously injuring another,” Graham said. “What’s important is he admitted to the paramedic that he had drank a 12-pack… The defendant is responsible, hold him accountable.”
Investigators said alcohol was detected at the scene, and a 15-pack of beer was found in Weddle’s vehicle. Testimony revealed Weddle told medical personnel he had consumed a 12-pack of beer. Blood testing conducted about two hours after the crash indicated his blood alcohol concentration was between .11 and .15 at the time of the collision.
Evidence also showed Weddle had taken a pain medication and Xanax prior to the crash.
Trooper L. Battle with the Florida Highway Patrol testified Weddle made no attempt to stop at the intersection and was the sole cause of the crash.
During testimony, Weddle claimed he had not been drinking prior to driving and said he did not remember the crash. Under cross-examination, he acknowledged drinking 12 to 15 beers daily but said he did not know how a 15-pack ended up in his vehicle that day.
“When you T-boned the victims’ car and killed them, were you looking at flowers?” Graham asked during cross-examination.
The jury deliberated for approximately 40 minutes before returning guilty verdicts on all charges.
Basford thanked the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Highway Patrol, and Florida Department of Law Enforcement for their work on the case.