ST. ROSE – St. Charles Parish President Larry Cochran was injured in a motorcycle crash while teaching his daughter how to ride.
According to a statement from Cochran, he was teaching his daughter to ride a motorcycle when the crash occurred. Though he was not wearing a helmet at the time, he only sustained a "a few broken bones and some bruising that will heal in time." His daughter only sustained minor injuries, according to Cochran's statement.
The full statement can be read below:
"My daughter and I are truly blessed beyond words. Something as innocent as teaching my daughter how to drive a motorcycle in front of my home can change from excitement to tragedy in an instance. I am thankful that my daughter sustained only minor injuries in the accident. I have a few broken bones and some bruising that will heal in time. I am so grateful for the calls and continued prayers from so many. It makes me proud to live in such a caring parish. Regardless of how simple a short ride in front of my home may seem, it was my responsibility to insist helmets be worn, a lesson I am fortunate enough to talk about today.
As your parish president, ensuring that the day to day operations of parish government run uninterrupted is very important to me. Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Billy Raymond will handle the day to day operations for St. Charles Parish government while I am on the mend. I am in constant contact with and have the utmost faith in my CAO and administration. Again, I'd like to thank the residents of St. Charles Parish for all of their support."
Parish officials released a statement ensuring that the government will not miss a step while Cochran recovers.
“During this time, President Cochran’s administrative team will continue to fulfill the parish’s mission of providing high quality, efficient services to sustain and enhance the quality of life for residents. Please keep him and his family in your thoughts and prayers,” the parish said in a statement.
Cochran entered into a program involving substance abuse counseling to avoid a DWI charge stemming from his arrest in September 2016. He was pulled over by Kenner Police for suspicion of drunk driving. No alcohol was detected during a Breathalyzer test, however blood test results revealed he had hydrocodone, oxycodone and oxymorphone in his system at the time of his arrest.