Elderly Couple Killed in Louisiana by Alleged Drunken Driver
GRETNA, La. (WVUE/Gray News) – A tragic accident in Louisiana claimed the lives of a married couple who had been together for 55 years. Authorities say the couple, 76-year-old Hubert Gauthreaux and 73-year-old Victoria Gauthreaux, were fatally struck by an alleged impaired driver on Saturday night.
The incident occurred around 6:40 p.m. in the 700 block of Fourth Street. According to police reports, 33-year-old Stephan Juarez was driving a 2015 GMC truck at high speed while heading eastbound. He crossed the center line and collided with a westbound 2011 GMC Yukon. Three individuals in the Yukon sustained minor injuries in the crash.
After the initial collision, Juarez allegedly continued driving and struck an unoccupied 2022 Honda Pilot parked nearby. He then proceeded further, crashing into a parked 2020 Volvo XC9 where the Gauthreauxs were seated. The impact left the couple with critical injuries, and they were rushed to a nearby hospital, where they later succumbed to their injuries.
Eyewitnesses described the crash scene as horrifying. A nurse who was present at the time of the collision recalled the devastation, calling it “carnage.” She described the scene as chaotic, with debris scattered everywhere, a severely damaged Volvo SUV, and a pickup truck that had plowed through a fence. The impact of the crash was loud and violent, leaving blood and wreckage in its wake.
The tragedy comes just weeks after the couple’s grandson, 21-year-old Hubert Gauthreaux III, was among the victims killed in the New Year’s Eve terror attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. The family has now suffered multiple heartbreaking losses in a short period.
Authorities continue their investigation into the accident. Juarez faces multiple charges, including suspicion of impaired driving. Law enforcement officials are urging drivers to be responsible and avoid reckless behaviors that endanger lives.
The community mourns the loss of the Gauthreauxs, remembering them as a loving couple whose lives were taken in a senseless act of negligence.
