HAMMOND, La. (AP) — A drunken driver struck and killed three pedestrians and injured two others after he apparently ran off a road early Friday and then fled the accident scene near Southeastern Louisiana University, police said.
The driver, Derek L. Quebedeaux, 21, of Hammond, a former Southeastern student, was taken into custody after the 2 a.m. accident and has been booked with three counts of vehicular negligent homicide, two counts of vehicular negligent injury, DWI, reckless operation and hit-and-run, police said.
Police Lt. Vincent Giannoble said officers located the suspect’s car outside a residence.
Two of the dead were Southeastern students, including a student from France, and two other students were injured, including one from England, authorities said.
Those killed were identified by university authorities as business administration graduate student Maxime Profit, 23, of Vaires Sur Marne, France; sophomore Beth Marie Boudreaux, 19, of Husser, and former student Thurman “Rion” Lowe III, 24, of Kenner, La.
Authorities said a freshman from Bicester, England — Nadine Steward, 18 — was injured. She was identified as a finance major and member of the Southeastern women’s tennis team. The other injury victim was business administration graduate student Maja Bradonjic, 24, of Belgrade, Serbia, a former Southeastern women’s tennis player.
Steward was in critical but stable condition Friday at North Oaks Medical Center, authorities said while Bradonjic was not seriously injured and was treated and released.
According to police reports, the victims, along with several others, were walking single file along the shoulder of a street after leaving a local nightclub, the Buzz. The school said that witnesses alleged that Quebedeaux was traveling at a high rate of speed.
“Our prayers and condolences are with the families of friends of these young members of our Southeastern family,” said Southeastern President John L. Crain.
University officials said a memorial service is planned for next week.
——Contact The Daily Reveille news staff at [email protected]