A New Orleans woman received several criminal charges after fleeing the scene of an accident on Sept. 20. The hit-and-run accident occurred shortly after 6 p.m. when the 49-year-old woman rear-ended a car on Lapalco Boulevard in Terrytown. When the driver of the vehicle that was hit moved out of the travel lane, the woman proceeded to travel westbound without stopping to identify herself.
A Louisiana State Police trooper followed the woman and stopped her as she was attempting to perform a U-turn. The trooper noticed that there was a 6-year-old child sitting in the front passenger seat of the woman’s car. As the woman got out of her vehicle, she falsely stated that she was a police officer and then told troopers she was taking medication for an illness. The woman failed a field sobriety test, but another test showed that she was not under the influence of alcohol.
The accused driver was booked into Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna for several charges including hit-and-run, DWI-child endangerment, false impersonation of a peace officer and improper control of a vehicle. The woman was also cited for failure to use child restraints, failure to wear a seat belt and failure to obey traffic control signals or an officer’s order. The woman was released the following day without posting bond because the jail was overcrowded.
When a negligent driver does not stop at the scene of an accident they cause, it can be more difficult for victims of the accident to obtain compensation. An attorney may be able to help a hit-and-run car accident victim to pursue the full amount of compensation that they need for their damages.
Source: nola.com, “New Orleans woman booked with hit-and-run, impersonating police officer,” Michelle Hunter, Sept. 22, 2015
