Vehicular homicide arrest follows fatal June crash in St. John
Published 12:11 am Saturday, August 25, 2018
- Ivan Johnson
LAPLACE — A Baton Rouge man was booked into the St. John the Baptist Parish jail Thursday, charged with vehicular homicide and obstruction of justice.
Louisiana State Police say 50-year-old Ivan Johnson was criminally implicated two-and-a-half months after a violent Interstate 10 wreck in St. John Parish that claimed the life of Anthony Lewis, 59, of Baton Rouge.
Louisiana State Police announced Aug. 15 that statements given by Johnson did not match evidence at the scene.
“Through further investigation, DNA evidence was collected and analyzed by the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab and clearly indicated that Ivan Johnson was the driver of the vehicle at the time of the fatal crash,” Trooper Melissa Matey said.
A search warrant issued for medical record toxicology results found Johnson over the legal Blood Alcohol Concentration level, police said.
The crash in question took place shortly before 9 p.m. June 9 on I-10 eastbound near milepost 207.
State Police’s initial investigation indicated a Chevrolet Avalanche traveling at a high rate of speed lost control, ran off the roadway and flipped several times.
Lewis, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected and pronounced dead on the scene. Troopers identified two other individuals involved in the crash: Johnson and Carlos Moore, 52, of Baton Rouge, who were taken to University Medical Center for their injuries.
Johnson was booked for vehicular homicide, vehicular negligent injuring, DWI – operating while intoxicated, reckless operation of a vehicle, obstruction of justice, operating a vehicle with a suspended license and speeding. He is being held in lieu of a $122,750 bond.