A St. Rose man was apprehended on Dec. 31 in connection with a November 2014 car crash that killed his passenger. He has been charged with negligent homicide, reckless operation of a motor vehicle and driving without a seat belt.
According to St. Charles Parish authorities, the 19-year-old was driving his 2009 Dodge Charger southbound on Louisiana 626 at approximately 11 p.m. on Nov. 1 when the accident occurred. For unknown reasons, he swerved into the northbound lane and then lost control of his vehicle when he attempted to re-enter the southbound lane. The car veered from the road, dropped into a ditch, hit multiple trees and flipped several times.
The Charger’s front seat passenger, a 20-year-old man, was thrown from the vehicle and died at the scene. The driver and a male back seat passenger, age 18, suffered minor injuries. Police said none of the vehicle’s occupants were wearing safety belts.
The defendant allegedly told authorities he was traveling 90 mph in a 55 mph zone at the time of the crash. He voluntarily submitted to both a blood test and a breath test, which showed he was not impaired by alcohol or drugs.
When a negligent driver such as a reckless motorist who was speeding causes a car crash, he or she could be found liable in a civil court for damages. With the aid of an attorney, injured parties could file a lawsuit against the at-fault driver to recover compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering and lost wages. If a victim was killed in the accident, certain surviving family members could file a wrongful death lawsuit seeking a financial settlement for funeral and burial expenses.
Source: NOLA, “Teen booked with negligent homicide in fatal St. Rose crash,” Littice Bacon-Bloog, Jan. 2, 2015
