Three men killed in a small plane crash Thursday afternoon have been identified as pilot Robert Gilliam of Minden and passengers Wade Williams and Chris Mudd of the Shreveport-Bossier area. Alexandria Senator Jay Luneau knew Mudd and describes him as a businessman and an advocate for mental health.
“I worked very closely with him on some legislation that we proposed a few years ago and were able to pass that really revamped the rehabilitation industry across the state, especially for adolescents,” said Luneau.
Mudd was the chief executive of St. Amant’s Rehabilitation Services company and Williams was an employee. Luneau says Mudd wanted to make sure that mental healthcare that was provided was adequate and that the state got good results for the money that was spent on it.
“He was adamant in working on the business model of it so the state could afford this help and could still give treatment. especially for adolescents in rural areas which is very difficult for us to do in the state of Louisiana,” said Luneau.
The plane, a single-engine Cessna, crashed in Jackson Parish, was flying to Shreveport from Jackson, Mississippi. Luneau says commuting with small planes was standard for Mudd.
“This particular company has locations throughout Louisiana and Mississippi and it is my understanding that they would fly pretty regularly the route that they flew from Jackson to Shreveport,” said Luneau.
