Durham man fatally shot before crashing car may have opened fire first, autopsy says
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- Darryl Whitley, 43, was found dead in his car on Wake Forest Highway in December.
- Whitley had crashed his car minutes after a shooting was reported at a nearby residence.
- New reports indicate Whitley may have been shot in self-defense after firing at the home.
A Durham man who crashed his car after being fatally shot in December may have been killed after first shooting at someone else , according to newly released documents.
Darryl Whitley, 43, died Dec. 27 on Wake Forest Highway, The News & Observer previously reported. The wreck came minutes after a shooting police have said was related on Lodestone Drive, less than 2 miles away.
Documents from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner released to The N&O on Tuesday indicate Whitley was fatally shot after opening fire at a residence. An investigative report states the driver of a black SUV fired at the Lodestone Drive home about 1:35 a.m.
“Six 9 mm casings were found in the road,” the report states. “The resident of the home fired from the yard with a handgun and three 9 mm casings were found in the yard.”
When the vehicle left, the resident called 911, according to the report. Shortly after, someone called 911 to report an SUV had crashed into a wooded area behind a home on Wake Forest Highway.
“The vehicle and the driver involved in the shooting matched the description of the person and vehicle that struck the tree line behind the residence,” the report states. “The vehicle had crossed the yard, hit a tree stump, and crashed into the wood line at the back of the residence.”
Firefighters had to remove a tree from the SUV before pulling Whitley out, according to the report. The 43-year-old was dead at the scene from a gunshot wound to the chin.
“A defect was noted in the driver side door, but did not appear to have penetrated the cab of the vehicle,” the report says. “The front driver side and back driver and passenger side windows were shattered.”
A handgun was recovered from the vehicle, though the report doesn’t specify who it belonged to or where it was found. Whitley appeared to have been shot with a 9 mm handgun and didn’t have a seatbelt on at the time of the crash.
Whitley’s blood alcohol content was 0.21% — more than twice the legal limit for driving — at the time of his death, his autopsy states.
No one appeared to have been charged in Whitley’s death as of Wednesday morning. Police had not responded to inquiries from The N&O in the case as of press time.
