By Suzanne Le Breton

Pontchartrain Newspapers

It took a St. Tammany Parish jury approximately one hour Thursday afternoon to convict a LaPlace man on negligent homicide charges resulting from a 2009 crash that killed a Washington Parish teen.

Troy Vollentine, who has a lengthy conviction record in his home parish of St. John, was arrested last September after the 2002 Chevrolet pickup truck he was driving swerved on Louisiana Highway 21 near Bush, crossed the centerline and crashed into a 2008 Nissan Altima driven by a 16-year-old girl. Theresa Mohon, also 16, of Angie was riding in the passenger seat of the car. Her 9-year-old brother was in the back seat. The driver of the Altima, Vollentine and Mohon’s brother sustained only minor to moderate injuries, but Mahon was not so lucky.

When the pick-up truck impacted the Altima, Mahon was not wearing her seatbelt and she died days later from the injuries she sustained in the crash.

A witness told State Police at the scene that Vollentine had been swerving on the highway before the crash occurred.

State Police further stated that Vollentine was acting erratically at the time of the incident and initial urine test found traces of drugs in his system, prompting responding officers to charge him with vehicular homicide. But toxicology results from the State Police Crime Lab came back negative, and the charge was reduced to negligent homicide.

He was also charged and convicted of two counts of negligent injuring.

The six-member jury found him guilty on all three charges, and 22nd Judicial District Judge William Crain is scheduled to sentence Vollentine on Nov. 10. Because of his prior convictions, he could be sentenced to life in prison if found to be a multiple offender.