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Back-seat passenger Tasha Nelson, 38, killed when suspected drunk driver Dedrick Varise, 32, crashes car off of LA 415 in West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana

Modified Date: 
Wed, 08/12/2015 - 7:21am
Accident Date: 
Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Driver faces DWI, other counts in crash that killed Port Allen woman late Tuesday

A crash late Tuesday in which the driver was believed to be both impaired and driving at a high rate of speed left one passenger dead and the driver injured, according to the State Police. Varise and his front-seat passenger, Dennis Vallery, 35, of Port Allen, fled the scene on foot. Deputies from the West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff'€™s Office located Varise and Vallery and returned them to the scene. Police said the crash occurred as Dedrick Varise, 32, of Port Allen was traveling northbound on LA 415 in a 2002 Nissan Altima at a high rate of speed. A toxicology sample was taken from Varise and will be submitted to the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab for analysis.
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.

Type: Drunk Driving
Topics: 
Ejected from Vehicle, Hit and Run
People Involved: 
Tasha Nelson
Dedrick Varise
Dennis Vallery
Roadway: 
LA 415
County: 
West Baton Rouge Parish, LA
Area: 
Baton Rouge, LA

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