MANCHAC, La. — Louisiana State Police arrested a semi-truck driver on Monday for negligent homicide for his part in the deadly I-55 crash.
Investigators say 61-year-old Ronald Britt of Lafayette was driving a 2022 Freightliner commercial motor vehicle northbound on I-55 in the left lane when he failed to stop and ran into a Cadillac CTS that was stopped in the same lane behind vehicles that were involved in minor crashes.
The driver of the Cadillac, 60-year-old James Fleming, died as a result of the collision. His wife and front-seat passenger, 70-year-old Barbara Fleming, suffered injuries in the crash and were treated at the hospital.
Britt was speeding at the time of the crash, according to troopers. He was booked into the St. John Parish Correctional Center.
Police say they have been investigating the crash since October 2023.
Britt is charged with the following:
- Negligent Homicide
- Negligent Injuring
- Reckless Operation
- And other traffic-related offenses
Seven people were killed, 63 injured, and 168 vehicles were damaged in a series of at least three "crash clusters" on I-55 in an extremely dense fog that left visibility near zero.
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