Nearly five months after a deadly pileup in dense fog on I-55 in St. John Parish, a man is facing criminal charges.
Troopers have announced the arrest of 61-year-old truck driver, Ronald Britt.
"Since October 2023, Louisiana State Police has conducted an extensive investigation into the series of crashes that occurred during the severe fog event on I-55," Trooper Jacob Pucheu said in a news release.
He says 61-year-old Ronald Britt of Lafayette was driving a 2022 Freightliner truck northbound on I-55 and slammed into a 2018 Cadillac CTS stopped in the left lane behind several vehicles that were involved in minor crashes.
"Britt failed to stop, and his Freightliner struck the rear of the Cadillac."
The ensuing crash triggered a massive fire.
"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 serious injuries."
Pucheu says Britt was operating the Freightliner at unsafe speeds during the limited visibility caused by the fog.
"As a result of the investigation, Troopers obtained an arrest warrant for Britt through the 40th JDC for Negligent Homicide, Negligent Injuring, Reckless Operation and other traffic related offenses."
Police booked him this week into the St. John Parish Correctional Center.
Jail records show bond was set at more than $250,000.
In all, 168 vehicles were involved in crashes in the fog that day.
Eight people died and 63 individuals were injured.
Some drivers and passengers were trapped in crumpled vehicles as flames spread through the crash scene. One vehicle flew off the bridge into the water below. Two people in that vehicle escaped with only minor injuries.
It took days to remove the wrecked cars, trucks and SUVs; clean up the debris; and repair damage to the road and guard rails.
