Fatal accident takes Louisiana woman’s son away from her

According to the victim’s mother, he was just going to stop to get something to eat on his way home. He was four blocks from his home when he became involved in a fatal accident. Two hours after she last spoke with him, police told the Louisiana woman that he son had died.

A 22-year-old driver ran a red light. The 42-year-old victim was, regrettably, already in the intersection at the time. The resulting impact threw the victim’s car into a residence. The Navy veteran never had the chance to get to a hospital. The injuries he sustained were fatal and he died at the scene.

The younger driver only received minor injuries in the crash. A field sobriety test conducted at the scene indicated that the man was under the influence. When police went to interview the man at Touro Infirmary in New Orleans, they could smell alcohol on his breath. The driver submitted to both blood and urine samples, the results of which are pending. He has so far been arrested for vehicular homicide, but additional charges are possible depending on the outcome of the toxicology tests.

Most drivers in Louisiana know that drinking and driving are a dangerous combination. Unfortunately, that knowledge doesn’t always stop drivers from getting behind the wheel after they have been drinking. The driver in this fatal accident will hopefully never again forget to have a designated driver. Between the criminal charges and a possible wrongful death claim, he may have continuous reminders. In the meantime, the victim’s mother doesn’t need a reminder that she will never again get to speak to her son.

Source: nola.com, Man arrested in suspected drunk driving accident that killed U.S. Navy veteran, Helen Freund, Sept. 23, 2013