4 highway workers struck by suspected drunken driver in St. Charles Parish

Published 2:22 pm Saturday, May 7, 2016

St. Charles Parish — A suspected drunken driver struck four road workers in St. Charles Parish early Saturday morning, authorities said.

Louisiana State Police Troop B was notified of a crash at approximately 2:45 a.m. Saturday on U.S. 61 North at Evangeline Street that injured the highway construction workers. All four workers suffered moderate to severe injuries, State Police said.

Preliminary investigation revealed a 1997 Ford truck, driven by 23-year-old Earl William Maugham Jr. of Destrehan was traveling north on U.S. 61 in the construction zone and sideswiped an unoccupied 2014 Ford truck that was stopped in the right lane.

The 2014 Ford was equipped with white and amber flashing strobe lights and was part of the construction work.

After the initial sideswipe, the 1997 Ford then struck a John Deere back hoe that was being operated by a construction crew member in the left lane and continued forward over two raised center median curbs and struck four construction workers.

All four construction workers were taken to University Medical Center Level 1 Trauma Center with moderate to severe injuries. The four workers are listed below:

• Adrian Alexander, age 32 of Westwego

• Davon Caine, age 20 of Bridge City

• Lonzill Henry, age 25 of Bridge City

• Louis Sanchez, age 53 of Kenner

Impairment is suspected on the part of Maugham and he was arrested and booked into the St. Charles Parish lock-up on four counts of first degree vehicular negligent injuring and careless operation.

Additional charges may be forthcoming and the crash remains under investigation.