13-year-old LaPlace boy killed crossing I-10

Published 3:46 pm Tuesday, November 27, 2012

A 13-year-old LaPlace boy was killed Tuesday afternoon as he tried to cross Interstate 10 in Metairie on foot.

According to Louisiana State Police, Jeremiah Williams was on his way to Southeast Louisiana Hospital in Mandeville when some sort of altercation took place. The driver of the vehicle, Janine Sylve of Slidell, pulled the vehicle over to the right shoulder and stopped near Cleary Avenue, at which point Williams exited the vehicle and crossed five lanes of I-10 east to the left shoulder. According to the report, emergency services were notified and en-route to assist with Williams.

He then began to cross back from the left shoulder, and while doing so he was struck by a 2005 Ford F-650 tow truck driven by Joseph Prince of Chalmette. Williams was transported to the Interim LSU Public Hospital Level 1 Trauma Center where he was pronounced dead.

Prince submitted to a chemical test and no detectable alcohol was found in his system and blood results are pending. Speed and impairment are not suspected as factors in the crash. The crash remains under investigation.