BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A woman with a history of DWI arrests has pleaded guilty to charges related to a car crash that left a 28-year-old man dead.
Latasha Hicks, 46, of St. James, pleaded guilty Wednesday to her third DWI offense and vehicular homicide in the March 15, 2020, death of Brian Gros Jr., of Pierre Part, as part of a plea deal with prosecutors, District Attorney Rickey Babin's office told news outlets.
Hicks faces up to 30 years in prison, said Babin's spokesperson, Tyler Cavalier. As part of the plea agreement, sentencing has been deferred, pending a pre-sentence investigation. While awaiting sentencing, she remains out on bond, Cavalier said.
According to a Louisiana State Police investigation of the accident, Hicks was traveling westbound on Hwy. 70 in Belle Rose when her car crossed the centerline and struck head on an eastbound pickup truck driven by Gros.
Both Gros and Hicks were transported to area hospitals with severe injuries. Gros died shortly after the crash.
Cavalier said the crash occurred while Hicks was out on bond with an active bench warrant for her arrest connected to a 2012 case for a third offense DWI in Ascension Parish.
Hicks had been arrested four prior times for DWI at the time she slammed into Gros’ truck in March. According to investigators, she was more than two times over the legal limit of .08 when she caused the wreck. Crash reports indicate her blood alcohol was a .190.
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