A Tangipahoa Parish judge sentenced a 23-year-old man to 12 years in prison for a 2009 car accident in which he killed three people and injured two others. All five victims were students at Southeastern Louisiana University (SLU). Prior to the accident, some of the victims attempted to talk the driver out of driving the few blocks back to his house.
In March 2009, the driver drove his pickup truck into the five students after a night of drinking at a local bar. Three of the students died instantly, and two others suffered injuries but survived. The man drove away from the accident and parked his truck in front of his house on Nashville Street, approximately 100 yards from the accident. Police arrested him at home, and his blood alcohol level was 0.152 percent. The legal limit is .08.
The driver made a $250,000 bond and awaited the resolution of his case outside of jail. His attorney argued on appeal that the arrest was improper, which tainted his breath-alcohol test. His appeal was unsuccessful, and he later pleaded guilty to three counts of vehicular homicide, two counts of first-degree vehicular negligent injuring and five counts of felony hit-and-run.
He must complete the first three years of the sentence without parole, probation or suspension of sentence. His defense attorney said he would be eligible for release in four to six years.
Drunk drivers and reckless drivers cause thousands of injuries and wrongful deaths every year. These unsafe drivers need to be held accountable to protect our communities. If you or a family member are injured in a car accident because of another driver, an experienced New Orleans injury lawyer can help you. Call a New Orleans injury lawyer at our firm to find out how we can help you get your life back on track after the car accident injury.