State police working in conjunction with Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s officers arrested a 20-year-old man the night of June 1, according to local sources. The Louisiana man is accused of drunk driving in a vehicle police say was stolen. The man is currently being held without bond in advance of a trial date, which has not yet been publicly announced.
According to the police report, Louisiana State Troopers responded to a car accident on LA 308 around 11:30 p.m. On arrival they discovered the pickup truck had crashed through a building, and the driver was allegedly fleeing the scene. Officers say they then gave pursuit.
They say they found the man hiding under a truck, but he fled again before being taken into custody after deputies caught up with him. After the arrest, police say they discovered the truck involved in the accident had been reported stolen. The man now stands accused of drunk driving and theft of a motor vehicle, as well as resisting arrest, careless operation and hit-and-run.
An individual suspected of a crime is not necessarily guilty of the crime of which he or she is accused. In Louisiana, as in all states, individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. In this instance, the man’s defense may wish to consider how police determined his allegedly intoxicated state (e.g. through a Breathalyzer or blood test) and determine whether that test was administered in accordance with his rights under the law. If any aspect of his arrest violated his rights, evidence collected as part of that arrest may be ruled inadmissible in court, and the drunk driving charges could be dropped.
Source: ksla.com, “Police: Man crashed stolen truck while drunk”, June 3, 2016