Port Arthur man driving in wrong lane strikes vehicle with 7 occupants

Published 3:42 pm Tuesday, July 5, 2011

A Port Arthur man is facing multiple charges including driving while intoxicated, hit and run and resisting an officer after a two-vehicle accident in Louisiana on Sunday.

Lake Charles Police responded to a call of a vehicle driving without headlights on  eastbound in the westbound lanes on Interstate 10 about 2:55 a.m. July 3 in Lake Charles.

Upon arrival, officers located a traffic accident on Interstate 10 westbound just east of Highway 171, according to a press release from LCPD.

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Police said that a family was traveling westbound on Interstate 10, coming back from Disney World in Florida to their home in Houston in a 2004 Chevrolet truck when a 2008 Honda SUV struck their vehicle head-on. The collision caused the truck to flip before coming to a rest in the median.

The driver of the Honda then exited his vehicle and fled the scene of the accident on foot. He was located a short time later and was arrested.  Police suspect alcohol was a factor in the accident and results are pending.

The occupants of the truck were transported to hospitals in that area for treatment and are listed in stable condition.

Martin Prosper Richard, 51, of Port Arthur, was arrested on charges of driving while intoxicated, reckless operation, hit and run and resisting an officer.

According to Lake Charles Police Deputy Chief Mark Kraus said Richard had two prior DWI charges with one conviction.