A man in Covington has been charged following a car crash that killed a 1-month-old baby and injured several other people. Louisiana State Police say they have reason to believe the 62-year-old man was drunk driving when the accident took place. If he is found guilty, he could face fines, the loss of his license and serious prison time.
According to the report filed by the State Police, the man was driving on Interstate 12 on the afternoon of May 2 when he crossed the median into oncoming lanes and ran headlong into a tractor-trailer. The baby in the car was not properly secured in a car seat and was severely injured in the impact. The child was rushed to a local hospital and was pronounced dead later that day.
Four other people, including the driver, were all injured in the crash. One of the injured was a second child, though the report does not say how badly injured anyone else may have been in the crash. The driver was hospitalized, but police say once he is released he will face charges for drunk driving, negligent vehicular homicide and careless driving.
The death of a child is a monumental tragedy, particularly if the situation could have been avoided. However, not enough information was included in the Louisiana police report to determine whether the man was actually guilty of drunk driving leading to the accident. Prosecutors will have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the man was intoxicated, and will need to produce evidence to that effect, including and breath or blood testing corroborating a blood alcohol level over the legal limit. In the absence of such evidence, or if it was collected improperly, the man’s defense team could argue that the court should reduce or even drop the charges altogether.
Source: U.S. News & World Report, “Crash Kills Baby, Police Say Driver Apparently Was Drunk“, May 3, 2018
