Ouachita Parish- On Friday, March 25, 2022, at approximately 8:18 p.m., Louisiana State Police Troop F responded to a hit-and-run crash which occurred on Louisiana Highway 616 west of Louisiana Highway 143. This crash claimed the life of 55-year-old Charles Lowery of West Monroe.

The preliminary investigation revealed that a bicyclist and an unknown vehicle was traveling west on Louisiana Highway 616. For reasons still under investigation, the unknown vehicle struck the bicycle in the rear and continued west.

As a result of the crash, Lowery sustained severe injuries and was transported to a local hospital where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.

After conducting a thorough investigation, Troopers, with the assistance of the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office, identified the unknown vehicle as a 2010 GMC Sierra. At the time of the crash, the GMC was driven by 51-year-old Bryan Hinton of West Monroe. Hinton was arrested and booked for vehicular homicide, hit-and-run, careless operation, and driving without a driver’s license.

Hinton is suspected of being impaired at the time of the crash. A toxicology sample was obtained and submitted for analysis. This crash remains under investigation.

Louisiana State Police would like to remind all motorists that if you feel differently, you drive differently. Alcohol, prescription drugs, and other drugs have many effects on the body that negatively affect driving skills. These drugs can impair visual ability, alter the sense of time and space, impair fine motor skills needed to operate a motor vehicle, and decrease reaction times. Motorists are encouraged to plan ahead and designate a sober driver. Not doing so can have deadly consequences.

In 2022, Troop F has investigated seven fatal crashes resulting in eight fatalities.