Two teenagers, 17-year-old Michelle Baity of Natchez, Mississippi, and 19-year-old Jacob Bonnette of Vidalia, were killed early Sunday after a northbound SUV lost control, left the roadway and overturned on Minorca Road in Concordia Parish. The crash happened at about 12:37 a.m. on May 10, and another unrestrained passenger suffered moderate injuries and was taken to a local hospital. Authorities arrested the 18-year-old driver and say impairment is a suspected factor.
According to a news release from Louisiana State Police, the vehicle was a 2001 Infiniti QX4 driven by 18-year-old Gregory Steele of Vidalia. Troopers say Steele was heading north on Minorca Road when he lost control of the SUV, which overturned at 518 Minorca Road. Baity and Bonnette, who were not wearing seat belts, were pronounced dead at the scene. Steele and another unrestrained passenger sustained minor and moderate injuries, respectively, and investigators collected toxicology samples from the driver.
Charges and investigation
Troopers placed Steele under arrest on multiple counts, including two counts of vehicular homicide, underage driving while intoxicated, vehicular negligent injuring and careless operation, and processed him at the Concordia Parish Detention Center, according to the release. “This crash remains under investigation,” Louisiana State Police said, noting that toxicology tests are pending and investigators are still reconstructing the crash scene.
Legal context
The charges named by troopers are defined under state criminal statutes. Vehicular homicide is prosecuted under La. R.S. 14:32.1, and vehicular negligent injuring is codified at La. R.S. 14:39.1. Those laws apply when a driver’s impairment or other conduct proximately causes death or serious injury and carry penalties that vary with the circumstances and severity of the offense. Local prosecutors will decide whether to file formal charges once troopers complete their investigation.
State safety data
The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission notes that impaired driving and lack of occupant protection remain major factors in traffic deaths across the state. LSU-linked data cited by the commission shows roughly 31 percent of crashes in 2022 involved alcohol, with an estimated 244 alcohol-related traffic deaths in 2023. The commission and state troopers run targeted enforcement campaigns and public-education efforts aimed at reducing impaired driving and increasing seat belt use, describing those initiatives as part of a broader push to cut preventable deaths on Louisiana roads.
Louisiana State Police provided contact information for its public affairs section in the release; M/T Casey Wallace is listed at (318) 266-7275 for media inquiries. The department also posted the release on its Louisiana State Police page and asked anyone with information to contact investigators. Hoodline will update this story if prosecutors file charges or troopers release new details.
