Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
GRAMERCY, La. (WGNO) — Police have arrested a Texas man accused in a drunk driving crash that killed a Baton Rouge woman late Sunday night.
Detectives with Louisiana State Police say just after 10:30 p.m. Sunday, officers responded to a crash involving a Ford F-150 pickup truck and a Honda Civic. We’re told the driver of the Honda, later identified as 27-year-old Jiasia Steib, ultimately died as a result of the crash.
An early investigation revealed that the truck, driven by 50-year-old Mark Wooten of Houston, was traveling south in the northbound lane of U.S. Highway 61 for unknown reasons. The truck collided head-on with the northbound Honda Civic.
Detectives say Steib was unrestrained in the Honda and suffered fatal injuries. She died after arriving at an area hospital. Wooten, who was also not wearing a seatbelt, sustained moderate injuries from the crash and was also taken to the hospital.
In a statement from LSP, Troopers say Wooten displayed “multiple signs of impairment” and was arrested on charges that include vehicular homicide, reckless operation, DWI, and failure to wear a seatbelt. We’re told he will be booked into the St. James Parish Jail once released from treatment.
The crash remains under investigation by LSP.
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