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At DUI-Manslaughter Trial, Mother Recalls Toddler's Death

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By TOM BRENNAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 21, 2009

TAMPA - Like many mothers, Gayle Gould relented to her child's repeated request.

"He kept insisting to go outside and play," she said of her son Eddie. "For some reason I didn't want him to."

But she gave in, letting 3-year-old Eddie have his wish.

"The next thing I know he was dead," Gould said. "Pete ran him over."

Pete is Pete Dreydoppel, 53, the Goulds' next-door neighbor at Alafia Riverwoods Mobile Home Park, 6521 River Road.

Dreydoppel went on trial this morning on a DUI-manslaughter charge in the toddler's death Feb. 7.

Prosecutors say Dreydoppel was impaired when he drove his Nissan pickup home that day. Defense attorneys say he was not.

Gayle Gould said her son was playing with a toy truck about 2 p.m. and that she was in the process of calling him inside.

"I turned my head to call him back and all I saw was his body flopping over," she testified. "All I saw was my kid under the truck already."

Deputy Jayson Noble testified that Dreydoppel had no odor of alcohol or marijuana and wasn't slurring his words when he interviewed him at the scene.

"He looked distraught," Noble said. "He looked stressed."

Noble said he followed Dreydoppel into his trailer to let him use the bathroom. He said he noticed drug paraphernalia on the coffee table.

When they went outside, Dreydoppel collapsed.

Sheriff's Detective John Graves said Dreydoppel passed most of the field sobriety tests he administered, though he used the wrong hand once in touching the tip of his nose.

Graves said Dreydoppel told him he suffered from a stroke, diabetes, leg pain and kidney failure. He said Dreydoppel was unstable on his feet.

Graves said he suspected Dreydoppel may be impaired when he noticed his shoes were on the wrong feet.

"It raised red flags that it might be medications he was taking for his ailments," he said.

Dreydoppel agreed to provide blood samples for testing.

Dreydoppel is watching the trial from a wheelchair. His attorneys said kidney problems limit his mobility.

Prosecutors are expected to continue calling witnesses today and Thursday.

Reporter Tom Brennan can be reached at (813) 259-7698 or tbrennan@tampatrib.com.

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