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When independence day becomes tragically ironic

On Behalf of | Jul 10, 2016 | Drunk Driving, Firm News |

Three-day weekends equate to relaxation and merriment to many. The merriment often includes alcohol consumption, perhaps more than in other occasions when there’s less travel, fewer gatherings and less of a compulsion to celebrate with wild abandon. However, with travel and with gatherings comes a need to return from where you came.

This may have been the downfall of one traveler on U.S. 165 South in the wee hours of the morning July 3rd. On a stretch of road just about a couple of miles from Louisiana Highway 134, an allegedly impaired motorist struck three police officers as they were working a traffic stop. One officer, who was conducting an interview and therefore was positioned between the rear of his vehicle and the white line on the highway, was fatally injured and was pronounced dead on location.

The motorist was hit with a bevy of charges ranging from vehicular homicide to failure to move over for an emergency vehicle on the shoulder.

This was truly a tragedy of epic proportions and stemmed from what was likely an enjoyable and innocent night of Independence Day festivities. Not only was a man killed and two others injured, but another person is facing criminal charges with devastating consequences and a lifetime of anguish over an incident that may not have entirely been his fault. Accident investigators will have to determine if the traffic stop blocked the flow of traffic and whether it was legitimately outside of the fog line.

If you find yourself on the wrong side of the law after an accident, you may benefit from consulting a Louisiana criminal defense attorney. He or she can further investigate the circumstances around your accident and may find areas from which to build a defense.

Source: knoe.com, “UPDATE: The man accused of killing a Sterlington Police Officer is out on bail.,” July 4, 2016

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