Three people are dead after an alleged drunk driver slammed into a vehicle that had broken down in the middle of US Highway 90B last night in Harvey.
State Police trooper Monroe Dillon says the three victims were on the upper level of the overpass and standing near the broken-down car when the collision occurred.
“Once he hit that vehicle head on it actually knocked three people off the elevated expressway onto the ground, a very steep drop, I’d say a 100 foot drop.”
One of the three victims, 49-year-old Claude Williams, was a pastor at Celebration Church. Williams was the driver of the stalled vehicle.
Dillon says they can’t be certain at this point, but it appears some of the victims were bystanders who had responded to the stalled vehicle and were attempting to help before they were killed.
“We had a few concerned citizens and good Samaritans try to help that individual make repairs to that vehicle in the middle of the roadway.”
The broken-down vehicle was facing oncoming traffic.
Dillon says the deaths are a tragic reminder that if your vehicle begins to break down, do everything you can to get it out of lanes of traffic.
“Try to get that vehicle off the roadway at the nearest exit. Pull into a gas station, or somewhere that is well light and try to make repairs to it. Certainly, we don’t want to make any repairs to it in the lane of travel.”
40-year-old Todd Williams of New Orleans was arrested and booked into prison on several counts, including Vehicular Homicide.
