Drunk driver runs into a deputy’s home

By Carrie A. Mizell

A 41-year-old man who was reportedly drunk and texting on his cell phone early Sunday morning drove his white mini van through a chain link fence and into a deputy’s home north of Bell.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Rodney Troy Whitley, 41, of Bell was driving north on US 129 at 1:30 a.m. when he lost control of his vehicle, drove off the roadway and into a concrete block home owned by Gilchrist County Sheriff’s Office deputy Anita Moore and her husband, David.
“My husband was up eating a sandwich and watching television and I was in the bed,” Moore said.

A 24 foot wide section of the north end of the home
was demolished when the mini van came to rest in a bedroom.

Damage inside the room was extensive, according to members of the Moore family.

The Moores described the noise they heard as what sounded like a gas explosion.
At the time, Anita was lying in bed just five feet from where the van came barreling through the wall on the north side of the house.
Whitley was arrested and charged with Careless Driving and DUI after a breathalyzer test showed that his blood alcohol level was 0.140 at the time of the accident, which is above the legal limit of 0.08.
On Sunday, Sept. 20 Whitley appeared before County Judge Ed Philman for first appearance. At press time, he was being held at the Gilchrist County jail on $2,500 bond.
No one was seriously injured in the accident, though David had to get several stitches after being hit with flying debris.
On Tuesday several sheets of plywood were nailed to the home’s exterior to close the hole, which was reportedly 24 feet wide.
The Moore family said on Thursday that they would like to thank local volunteer firefighters who helped cleanup debris at the scene as well as local law enforcement officers.
While Anita said she feels so thankful that no one was seriously injured in what could have been a tragic accident, her daughter, Megan said “You can’t hang on to what could have happened.”