A Slidell man is facing hit-and-run charges after he fled from one traffic crash as deputies were arriving Friday, then crashed again as they pursued him, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office said.
Two deputies were driving on U.S. 190 near Covington at about 12:30 p.m. when they saw two vehicles on the side of the road near Louis Prima Drive.
They appeared to have been involved in a minor crash, and one driver seemed irate, police say.
As deputies pulled over one of the vehicles, a Mitsubishi Galant, drove away. The deputies followed northbound on U.S. 190.
The vehicle sped onto Crestwood Boulevard but crashed into a culvert and flipped about 1½ miles from the first wreck.
Firefighters extricated the driver, whom the sheriff's office identified as Griffin Batiste, 20, from the vehicle. He was taken to a local hospital.
The Sheriff's Office said he faces charges of:
- Hit-and-run driving
- Aggravated flight from an officer
- Obstruction of a roadway
- Reckless driving.
Police say additional charges are possible.
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