Kayla Legarde, 14, killed and two people injured in hit-and-run collision with alleged driver James Thornton on Interstate 10 in New Orleans, Louisiana
Teen girl killed in 3-vehicle I-10 crash late Thursday; New Orleans police looking for driver who fled
The 14-year-old girl, who was in the left rear seat of the Pontiac Grand Am, died on the scene. The driver of the Pontiac and her front-seat passenger were transported to the hospital in stable condition.
The 33-year-old male driver of the Dodge Ram truck and his female passenger were not injured.
Teen girl killed in 3-vehicle I-10 crash late Thursday; New Orleans police looking for driver who fled
The crash happened about 11:15 p.m. Thursday on westbound Interstate 10 near the Bullard Avenue exit, according to authorities. Police said the girl, identified by the Coroner’s Office as Kayla Lagarde, died at the scene.
Call from cop's phone made by suspect in hit-and-run death helps nab him
When James Thornton got out a car after crashing it June 9 into two vehicles on Interstate 10, killing 14-year-old Kayla Legarde, he borrowed a police officer's phone to make a call, according to court records. Thornton, 40, ran off from the scene, but the call he made to his girlfriend before taking off would later help officers connect him to the crime.
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Why every fatality from a crash is not legally a wrongful death
After someone dies in a motor-vehicle accident, grieving family members and friends are often left with many questions. What caused the accident? Could it have been avoided? What do they do now that their loved one is gone?
Sometimes a fatal collision happens through no one's fault. Crashes caused by weather and road conditions, or by wildlife in the roadway, are examples. But when a fatal crash is caused by negligence, then family members should pursue a wrongful death claim, to uphold the victim's rights and begin the financial recovery process. Learn more about wrongful death claims here.
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