By LEONARD GRAY – Managing Editor

HAHNVILLE – A St. Charles Parish deputy was nearly struck and killed Sunday afternoon, as his car was struck by a fleeing vehicle, reported stolen in St. John Parish.

Keith Gendron, 47, of Columbia, Miss., was booked Monday with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated flight from an officer and possession of stolen property.

Capt. Patrick Yoes reported that Gendron was being pursued in a 2001 Pontiac Firebird by St. John deputies along River Road, headed toward Killona, just after noon.

As St. Charles officers tried to stop the vehicle near the intersection of Louisiana Highway 3141, it rammed a police unit at a high rate of speed, estimated at 80 mph on the curving, two-lane road.

“We feel he could have swerved around it but chose not to do so,” Yoes said.

Gendron was taken to St. Charles Parish Hospital in Luling, but the severity of his injuries was not known at press time. He was held for observation for possible internal injuries, Yoes commented.

The officer was treated for his minor injuries and released that same day.

Upon Gendron’s release from the hospital, he will be booked on the above charges.

Attempted murder of a police officer, by Louisiana law, is automatically classified as first-degree.

As of press time, the suepsect was still awaiting booking procedure at the correctional center near Killona.

Also, as of presss time, the name of the deputy nearly killed in the incident was not disclosed by the sheiriff’s office spokesman.