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COVINGTION, La. (WGNO) — A Covington woman has been found guilty of her involvement in the death of a tourist in St. Tammany Parish.

Court documents revealed that back in February 2020, Louisiana State Police (LSP) was dispatched to a crash on U.S. Highway 190 in Slidell where 43-year-old Dawn Pearson hit the back of a motorcycle.

The victim, Giusto Paolo, a tourist visiting form Italy on a cross-country tour, was struck and killed.

At the time of Pearson’s arrest, officers noticed she was impaired, and she had track marks on her arm. She performed poorly on the field sobriety tests and fell asleep in the police unit on the way to the hospital.

Pearson’s toxicology screen showed multiple drugs in her system, including fentanyl, oxycodone, alprazolam, and THC.

Pearson was sentenced to 20 years in prison for vehicular homicide and a total of 18 months for related traffic violations and an unrelated 2nd offense DUI.

Pearson has prior convictions involving possession of cocaine, theft, DUI, and criminal mischief.

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