White talks about wife's crash

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Albuquerque Public Safety Director Darren White addressed speculation that his wife was driving while impaired and that she received preferential treatment after a minor single car accident last Wednesday morning.

"I did nothing that no husband wouldn't do for his wife," said White.

Kathleen White, 36, crashed into a curb at the intersection of Montgomery and Juan Tabo around 8:20 a.m. last Wednesday. According to an initial AFD report, Kathleen had difficulty standing and was swaying while talking on her cell phone after the crash. White rushed to the scene shortly after. He admitted his lights were on but never sounded the siren.

"I just put the emergency lights on because it was an emergency vehicle and I had it in the street," said White.

White said after 30 minutes, he recognized his wife needed medical attention. White said he drove his wife to see a doctor after she said she didn't want to be transported by an ambulance.

"This was not the person I had left 20 minutes earlier and it had scared me," White said of his wife's condition.

White said he had his lights on when he left the scene but immediately turned them off once he realized they were still glaring.

White said he did not interfere with the investigation on scene. White also said paramedics and officers on scene did not object when he insisted he drive his wife to the hospital.

Medical records show Kathleen suffered a seizure while driving, which caused her vision to blur. White said she had no recollection of the crash and the hours following the incident.

But sources close to the investigation told News 13 that Kathleen seemed to be impaired. Field sobriety tests weren't conducted on scene. Police Chief Ray Schultz said there were no signs of drugs or alcohol, so those kinds of tests weren't needed.

"In order to proceed further, you would need probable cause," said Schultz.

Toxicology reports show Kathleen did not have any drugs or alcohol in her system.

An emotional Darren White said he had no choice but to reveal his wife's private medical records to stop the rumors.

"People are using my wife's medical condition for political attacks," said White. "I hope the people who are doing this are ashamed that we had to go to this length to take my wife's medical issue, which was a private matter, seizures and make it public."

Schultz said the police officer who was supposed to draft the crash report was supposed to turn it in by last Wednesday, but the report wasn't turned in until this afternoon, fueling the rumors.

Mayor R.J. Berry has ordered the city's independent review office to thoroughly investigate what happened. He expects that will take several weeks.