An allegedly drunk driver killed one police officer and seriously injured two others during a traffic stop on southbound Highway 165.
According to Louisiana State Police, 44-year-old Tracy Govan, of Monroe, crossed the fog line in a 2014 GMC Sierra, striking three officers who were on the scene. Officer David Elahi was declared dead at the scene; two other officers, whose names were not released, were transported to a local hospital, where they are expected to survive. Mr. Govan now faces a number of criminal charges, including vehicular homicide, improper lane usage, and vehicular negligent injury. [Read more…] about Alcohol-Induced Fatal Crash In Sterlington
The Origins of Duty, Part II
In the 1830s, when the court decided Vaughan v. Menlove, everyday life was not much different than it had been in the 1630s, especially in the rural English countryside. But a hundred years later, the world was a lot different. Inventions like the car and telephone connected people like never before, radio and cinema ushered in a new era of mass communication, and massive industrialization changed the way the economy worked. Perhaps even more importantly for the issues involved in Donoghue v. Stevenson (1932), many people were still traumatized over the events of World War I, because millions of people – combatants and noncombatants alike – had been directly or indirectly killed with little or no regard to their welfare. [Read more…] about The Origins of Duty, Part II
The Origins Of Duty, Part I
Many Louisiana statutes and court procedures originally came from French law, but others came from the common law (judge-made law) in England. Duty in a negligence case is one such concept. Depending on the relationship between the parties, the defendant has a duty of care with respect to the plaintiff. In most cases, this duty involves reasonable care.
When an English court considered Vaughn v. Menlove in 1837, the concept of “duty” existed only in commercial law, because the parties to a contract had a duty to perform their obligations if at all possible. The facts of this case motivated the court to expand this concept to everyday life, at least in some instances. [Read more…] about The Origins Of Duty, Part I
Making A Federal Case Out Of It
Two Louisiana men now blame a Texas driver for the injuries they sustained in a serious car crash last year.
According to a lawsuit filed in federal court, Ronald Clauhs was stopped in a traffic lane of eastbound Interstate 10 because of a traffic jam. Shortly thereafter, Scott Liriano, of Bastrop, Tex., approached, apparently failed to stop, and collided with the vehicle at the tail end of the traffic jam that was three vehicles behind Mr. Clauhs, who was operating a car owned by Joseph Dimitri. That collision caused a chain reaction crash that injured Mr. Clauhs. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages. [Read more…] about Making A Federal Case Out Of It
Are Large Trucks In Louisiana Equipped With Trans-Continental Alarm Clocks?
From a monitoring station in Peoria, Illinois, a large truck manufacturer says it can effectively prevent drowsy driving-related crashes.
Using advanced facial recognition software that is linked to dash-mounted cameras, operators at Caterpillar’s Sleep Fatigue Center can tell when drivers start to nod off or become distracted. Mike Hatfield, a Business Development Manager at Caterpillar, says that SFC operators also access the drivers’ schedules, to predict when their alertness levels will drop. Once the data is collected, safety advisers review it and then forward it to the client shipping company. The transportation company then takes action based on the results, which could involve more rest periods or a different shift schedule. [Read more…] about Are Large Trucks In Louisiana Equipped With Trans-Continental Alarm Clocks?
Deadly Rollover Wreck Near Lafayette
A 9-year-old girl died in a fatal car crash in Iberville Parish.
Louisiana State Police state that 27-year-old Tommie Killough, of Livonia, was southbound on Highway 75 when he attempted to pass a vehicle that was stopped and waiting to make a left turn. During the maneuver, the stopped car proceeded into a turn and Mr. Killough struck it; after the collision, his vehicle flipped over multiple times. Asha Cooper, who was not properly restrained, was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene.
Mr. Killough now faces multiple criminal counts in connection with the incident, including negligent homicide and failing to restrain a child. [Read more…] about Deadly Rollover Wreck Near Lafayette