GRETNA, La. — The man accused of killing a 9-year-old girl in a drunk driving crash in Jefferson Parish last month had his bond set at $1 million Wednesday.
Wendell Lachney faces several charges following a crash on Oct. 22 in Gretna. Lachney was originally charged with negligent injuring and was released on bond two days after the crash. Lachney was re-arrested more than a week later on a vehicular homicide charge after 9-year-old Abigail Douglas died from injuries she suffered in the crash.
His attorneys stated in court that Lachney doesn’t intend to post bond.
Court documents claim Lachney was driving between 60 and 75 mph in a 45 mph zone, and admitted to authorities that he had been drinking whiskey and smoking marijuana for four hours prior to the crash. The documents add that Louisiana State Troopers found an open bottle of whiskey, an opened bottle of wine, a cup of beer, 53 grams of marijuana and a smoking pipe in his car after the crash.
Lachney reportedly had a blood alcohol content level of .22g% which elevates the vehicular homicide charge to a "crime of violence."
The legal limit to drive in the U.S. is .08g%.
Lachney was previously convicted for "driving under the influence" in 1994 in Island County, Washington. JP prosecutors also found another prior DWI conviction in St. John Parish.
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