UPDATE: On Friday, August 29, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office announced it is requesting that the district attorney dismiss charges against Baeudette, in light of new evidence that led to the arrest of a different suspect.
Original story follows:
A Slidell man is accused of fleeing the scene after running over a six-year-old boy with his SUV.
According to the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office, deputies were called to Northshore Lane near Slidell on Wednesday shortly before 6 p.m. about a child struck by a vehicle. Investigators learned the child was riding a scooter in his driveway when an SUV struck him. The driver did not stay at the scene.
The boy's mother took the child to a local hospital before deputies arrived. He died a short time later.
Authorities say they identified the vehicle as a 2022 Chevy Suburban, which was spotted later that evening on East Gause Blvd. Deputies pulled the vehicle over and arrested its driver, 35-year-old Cody Michael Beaudette.
The sheriff's office booked Beaudette on charges including vehicular homicide, felony hit-and-run, driving with a suspended license, and reckless operation.
"This is a horrific tragedy for our community, and it is a tragedy that could have been prevented by careful driving and the obedience of traffic laws," said St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Smith. "Children are out and about in our neighborhoods, and it is imperative that all motorists pay attention and slow down."