Duson Driver Arrested For Vehicular Homicide After Passenger Dies in Crash

Just before 11 o'clock last night, Louisiana State Police were called out to the intersection of Congress and Duhon Road after 29-year-old Gerard Richard, police say, failed to stop at a stop sign, and his car slammed into a truck driven by 60-year-old Glynn Hartwell of Duson.

State Police say Hartwell was wearing a seatbelt, and he was not hurt in the crash.  Richard and his passengers, 21-year-old Harold Arnold and 32-year-old Leroy Richard, were not wearing seatbelts, and they were all injured.  Arnold was taken to an area hospital were he later died from his injuries.

Troopers say Richard was impaired by alcohol.  He was arrested for:

• Vehicular homicide
• Failure to stop at a stop sign
• Vehicular negligent injury
• Open container of alcohol
• Suspended driver's license

This crash remains under investigation.

In a press release release, Trooper Stephen Hammons wrote,

"Impairment and a lack of seat belt use continue to be the leading factors in fatal crashes in the Troop I area.  So far this year, Troop I has investigated 19 fatal crashes resulting in 23 fatalities.  Troopers remind occupants that while wearing a seat belt will not save you in every crash; however, research shows that it can greatly reduce your risk of injury in a crash."