Truck Driver Arrested for Negligent Homicide After Deadly I-55 Pileup
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.
"Britt's speed was deemed negligent, considering the driving conditions at the time, resulting in Mr. Fleming's death and injuries to his wife, Barbara Fleming," authorities stated. "Louisiana State Law mandates drivers to maintain a safe speed suitable for the current driving conditions."
The incident took place during a "super fog" occurrence, where a combination of smoke and fog decreased visibility to under 10 feet, as reported by CBS affiliate WWL-TV. The National Weather Service warns that this phenomenon "can be very dangerous on highways," and has led to numerous extensive, multi-vehicle collisions.
Britt turned himself in to the authorities on Monday.
In October, Louisiana State Police disclosed that eight individuals perished and 63 were wounded in the massive crash involving at least 168 vehicles, including a tanker truck transporting "hazardous liquid."
