Details released on DUI collision

By Joe Beck -- jbeck@nvdaily.com

FRONT ROYAL -- State police arrested a now-former civilian employee of the Warren County Sheriff's Office on Sunday after fielding a report of a crash between two vehicles, an agency spokesman said Thursday.

About 90 minutes later, state police arrested Rebecca Lynn Whited, 41, of Front Royal on charges of driving while under the influence and felony hit and run, said Sgt. F.L. "Les" Tyler, an agency spokesman.

On Wednesday, Warren County Sheriff Danny T. McEathron disclosed that Whited was an employee in the Sheriff's Office "at the time of the incident" but no longer worked there as of Wednesday afternoon. He refused to elaborate on the circumstances of her departure.

Tyler said Trooper Charles Scally was called to the scene of a two-vehicle crash at U.S 340 and Va. 619 around 5:30 p.m. Sunday and found a silver PT Cruiser occupied by a man and woman. Their vehicle had been struck in the rear by another vehicle, Tyler said.

The occupants described the vehicle that hit them as a 2007 Chevrolet four-door, and described the driver of the Chevrolet, Tyler said. The vehicle and Whited were located around 6:55 p.m. in Front Royal, and she was then charged, Tyler said.

McEathron said Wednesday that Whited had worked in the office for "quite a while," but gave no specific time period.

"As of the day of this phone call, she is no longer employed by my office," McEathron said Wednesday.

"It's a personnel issue, and I can't go into detail with personnel," he added.

The Sheriff's Office arrest log listing Whited's charges shows a blood alcohol level of more than 0.20 with her charge of driving while under the influence. The legal limit is 0.08. The hit-and-run offense listed on the arrest log shows the incident causing more than $1,000 damage.