A Covington woman is facing vehicular homicide charges after a crash that resulted in the death of an 8-year-old girl. On September 16, Candace L. Leblanc, 39, lost control of her Toyota Camry and struck a tree with her vehicle, causing the fatality, according to WDSU. The victim, identified as Jewel Leger of Covington, was in the passenger seat and was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the incident, leading to fatal injuries.
Following the accident, Louisiana State Police conducted toxicology tests that indicated the presence of impairing drugs in Leblanc's system, this detail arising from an arrest warrant reported by WWLTV. The charges also include various other violations, although the specifics of these have not been detailed, and a full list of the charges Leblanc faces isn't yet provided to the public.
Leblanc was arrested after the toxicology findings were revealed, and the case is still under active investigation, as noted by NOLA.com. Further examination into the causes behind the vehicle's departure from the road and subsequent collision is ongoing, approximately three weeks have passed since the crash took place.
The roadway where the crash occurred, LA Hwy 40 in Bush, Louisiana, was described by authorities to have a left-hand curve that the car was approaching before it veered off, "For reasons still under investigation, the car traveled off the road to the right and hit a tree," WDSU explained.
