Current:Home > InvestTruck driver charged with negligent homicide in deadly "super fog" 168-car pileup in Louisiana -VitalWealth Strategies
Truck driver charged with negligent homicide in deadly "super fog" 168-car pileup in Louisiana
View
Date:2025-04-13 09:06:07
A Louisiana truck driver has been arrested on multiple charges, including negligent homicide, for the state's 168-car "super fog" pileup in October. Eight people were killed in the pileup, including one man who police said died as a direct result of the truck driver who was driving at a "negligent speed."
Police said this week that they arrested Ronald Britt and charged him with negligent homicide, negligent injuring, reckless operation and other traffic offenses related to the incident on I-55. In Louisiana, negligent homicide has a maximum sentence of five years in jail and/or $5,000.
The Missouri man who died in the incident, 60-year-old James Fleming, had "managed to stop his vehicle safely with the other crashed vehicles ahead of him" during a pileup that occurred during "poor weather conditions and limited visibility" that day, police said. But because multiple crashes had already occurred, he could not move his car to a safer location.
That's when Britt, who was driving a truck that weighed roughly 80,000 pounds, arrived on the scene while traveling at roughly 60 miles per hour, police said.
"It was determined that Britt was operating at a negligent speed, given the driving conditions at the time, directly leading to the death of Mr. Fleming and the injuries sustained by his wife, Barbara Fleming," police said. "...Louisiana State Law requires that drivers maintain a safe speed appropriate for the prevailing driving conditions."
The incident occurred during a "super fog" event, which is when a mix of smoke and fog reduced visibility to less than 10 feet, according to CBS affiliate WWL-TV. The phenomenon "can be very dangerous when present over highways," the National Weather Service says, "and has been the cause of several large, multi-vehicle pileups."
Britt voluntarily surrendered to the police on Monday.
Louisiana State Police said in October that eight people were killed and 63 were injured in the pileup, which involved at least 168 vehicles, including a tanker truck that had been carrying "hazardous liquid."
- In:
- Car Accident
- Severe Weather
- Louisiana
Li Cohen is a social media producer and trending content writer for CBS News.
veryGood! (37)
Related
- Kehlani Responds to Hurtful Accusation She’s in a Cult
- Jay Leno Reveals He Has a Brand-New Ear After Car Fire
- Get a Mess-Free Tan in 1 Hour and Save 63% On Tan-Luxe Self-Tanning Mousse
- Joran van der Sloot, suspect in Natalee Holloway disappearance, to challenge extradition from Peru to U.S., lawyer says
- A steeplechase record at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Then a proposal. (He said yes.)
- Iran frees 3 Europeans in prisoner swap as detained American's lawyer denies rumors of imminent release
- New mom nearly dies from rare flesh-eating bacteria days after giving birth
- H&M Teams Up With Tess Holliday to Expand Size-Inclusive Clothing
- Louisiana high court temporarily removes Judge Eboni Johnson Rose from Baton Rouge bench amid probe
- Jeremy Renner Shares How 10-Year-Old Daughter Ava Has Healed Him After Accident
Ranking
- New Zealand official reverses visa refusal for US conservative influencer Candace Owens
- See How Tom Schwartz and Raquel Leviss' Flirtation Intensified Before Tom Sandoval Affair
- Vanderpump Rules’ Tom Sandoval Shares His Regrets About Affair With Raquel Leviss
- Alana Honey Boo Boo Thompson Shares Message After Sister Anna Chickadee Cardwell's Cancer Diagnosis
- Video shows dog chewing cellphone battery pack, igniting fire in Oklahoma home
- Becky G Hits the Red Carpet in Semi-Sheer Dress Amid Fiancé Sebastian Lletget’s Cheating Rumors
- 90 Day Fiancé: Love in Paradise Trailer: Meet the Couples Looking to Make Love Last
- The Bachelor Finale: Find Out If Zach Shallcross Got Engaged
Recommendation
A New York Appellate Court Rejects a Broad Application of the State’s Green Amendment
Pink Gives Glimpse Into Her Imperfect Love With “Muse” Carey Hart at 2023 iHeartRadio Awards
Iran frees 3 Europeans in prisoner swap as detained American's lawyer denies rumors of imminent release
TLC's Jazz Jennings and Gabe Paboga Detail the Beauty and Terror of Being Transgender on TV
NCAA hits former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh with suspension, show-cause for recruiting violations
Why Heather Rae El Moussa Calls Her Future With Selling Sunset “Frustrating”
See Matt Damon's Rare Night Out With His All-Grown Up Kids and Wife Luciana Barroso
Transcript: Rep. French Hill of Arkansas on Face the Nation, May 28, 2023