Driver in Fatal Accident to be Taken into Custody After Treatment

Most Louisiana drivers are aware that speed and alcohol do not mix. Unfortunately, that does not keep some people from getting behind the wheel of a car after drinking too much. Those drivers are flirting with disaster and drastically increasing the chance of causing a serious or fatal accident.
Louisiana State Police troopers say that a combination of speed and alcohol led to a single-vehicle crash that occurred on LA 415 around 11 p.m. As the driver sped north on the highway with his two passengers, he lost control of it. The car finally came to rest on an embankment, but with one less passenger in it.
During the crash, one of the passengers, a 38-year-old woman, was ejected. Emergency personnel got her to a hospital, but it was too late. She died from her injuries. The driver, a 32-year-old man, and the other passenger, a 35-year-old man, fled the scene — leaving the woman to die.
They were located and brought back to the location of the accident. The driver was placed under arrest, but was first taken to the hospital because he suffered minor injuries. Once treated, he was booked into the West Baton Rouge Parish Prison on suspicion of DWI, homicide by vehicle and other charges.
The family of the deceased passenger may exercise its right to file a wrongful death claim, apart from the pending criminal proceedings against the driver. If her family is able to prove to a civilthat her death was the result of the driver’s negligence, a Louisiana court may consider awarding damages. A monetary judgment will not bring back a lost family member, but it could help with the financial losses that accompany a fatal accident.