NEW ORLEANS — Family members of the man who killed two people and injured seven others after slamming his car into them said he had gone out for his 32nd birthday before the accident, The New Orleans Advocate reports.
Tashonty Toney was arrested and booked with two counts of vehicular homicide and seven counts of vehicular injury, hit-and-run and reckless operation of a vehicle.
Toney’s grandmother, Shirley Grimes, said her grandson works at the Convention Center and spends most of free time with his sister’s children. Grimes said she didn’t know Toney to be “a drinker” and was shocked to hear he was responsible for the crash.
"Tashonty is a very good person, he's a considerate person. He’s a humble person and he’s a hard worker,” Grimes told The New Orleans Advocate.
NOPD said when Toney was arrested, he told an officer “I have a drinking problem” and “I should have gotten help.”
His mother, Debra Toney, also said she was “in shock” at the news and said her son had been working since he was 15 and was working at the Convention Center for five years.
According to court records, Toney refused to do a Breathalyzer test, but police obtained a warrant to draw his blood and test it. His bond has been set at $510,000.