TANGIPAHOA PARISH, La. — After apparently driving off the road and into a tree on Thursday, a man was arrested in Tangipahoa Parish for recklessly killing one of his passengers, according to the Louisiana State Police.
Michael Clayton, 33 has been apparently with two passengers when he drove off I-12, near Louisiana Highway 1249.
Clayton first hit a sign and then a tree. One of the passengers in his car was Gene Duncan, 66, who was killed in the crash despite wearing a seatbelt.
State troopers said they arrived at the crash at about 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.
"(Duncan) was pronounced dead at the scene," A Louisiana State Police official said on Friday. "Clayton and another occupant were both properly restrained and sustained minor injuries."
Clayton was booked on three charges; one a homicide charge, another for reckless driving, and a third for driving with a suspended license. He has been held in the Tangipahoa Parish Jail.
Law enforcement apparently gave Clayton a toxicology test, officials from the Louisiana State Police have said the investigation is ongoing.
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