On Saturday, June 15, a 21-year-old man from Mississippi was killed after he exited his vehicle on a St. Helena Parish, Louisiana, road. According to Louisiana State Police, the victim was allegedly struck by a 2012 GMC 2500 pickup driven by the president of the Livingston Parish School Board. The defendant left the scene of the accident, according to police reports.
Neither the defendant nor his attorney have explained why he left the accident scene. The defendant has expressed remorse for the accident through his attorney. This occurred the same day as police towed the pickup truck from the man’s home. There was damage visible on the driver’s side of the vehicle, including a missing side mirror.
According to police reports, the victim was north of Greensburg, Louisiana, traveling south on LA 43. He had stopped his 2008 Chevy pickup and got out of the truck. Police say a truck traveling northbound and allegedly driven by the defendant hit the open driver’s side door of the victim’s truck, striking the victim, as well. A passenger in the victim’s truck and someone walking in the area took the victim to a local hospital, but he was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival. It is not known just why the victim had stopped or exited his vehicle.
Tips from around the community and evidence from the crash scene led to the arrest of the defendant for felony hit-and-run. The man posted a cash bond of $500 and was released.
State police estimate it will be an additional four to six weeks before the full report on the accident is complete. According to media reports, the defendant does not have any prior traffic convictions. His attorney says his client was not intoxicated at the time of the accident and that the preliminary investigation also shows the same.
Even if the defendant is not found guilty of the criminal charges, he could be held responsible in a wrongful death lawsuit by the victim’s family. An attorney could advise them of their options in such a lawsuit and work diligently towards getting them financial compensation for the loss of their loved one.
Source:
theadvocate.com, “Attorney: Sibley remorseful over accident” Robert Stewart, Jun. 18, 2013
