Driver Charged After Car Plows into 3 Parked Vehicles in Lafayette on Mardi Gras, Killing One and Injuring 7

Lafayette, LA (KPEL News) - A pedestrian is dead, another is hospitalized, and six children were injured in a tragic crash that happened as Mardi Gras celebrations were winding down across Lafayette and Louisiana.

Lafayette Police were called to the 1200 block of S. Sterling Street at about 5:00 Tuesday afternoon about the incident involving four cars.

The preliminary investigation revealed that four cars were involved, but three were parked. Based on the information, the work to determine exactly what happened was tedious.

SERIES OF EVENTS

• 23-year-old Kayley Rachel Thibeaux of Carencro hit a parked car, identified as vehicle 2.
• Vehicle 2 was pushed into vehicle 3, with a pedestrian pinned between them.
• Vehicle 3 then hit the second pedestrian and ran into vehicle 4.

Vehicles 2, 3, and 4 were all parked with no one in them.

The first pedestrian, identified as 40-year-old Jermaine Devine Britton of Breaux Bridge, was transported to the hospital in critical condition and later died from those injuries. The second pedestrian is hospitalized in stable condition.

Officers discovered that six juveniles were in the first vehicle and were unrestrained at the time of the crash. They were all taken to the hospital in stable condition. The ages of the juveniles hasn't been disclosed.

Thibeaux agreed to a breathalyzer test because officers suspected impairment. The results showed that she had a blood alcohol content of .113%.

Since Britton died, Thibeaux is charged with the following:

• Vehicular homicide.
• Operating a vehicle while intoxicated, first offense with child endangerment.
• 6 counts of vehicular negligent injuring.
• 6 counts child passenger restraint violations.
• Careless operation with crash.

The crash is still under investigation, and additional information will be released once the Lafayette Police Department Traffic Investigators have completed their assessments.