BATON ROUGE, La. (KLFY) — The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) announced that the Lafayette Parish assistant district attorney accused of injuring a child in a boating crash on False River has turned himself in today.
Chris Richard, 64, of Carencro, faces charges of felony hit-and-run, careless operation of a vehicle, and negligent injury. He has been booked into the Pointe Coupee Parish Jail. According to LDWF, felony hit-and-run brings up to a $5,000 fine and 10 years in jail. Negligent injury carries up to a $500 fine and six months in jail. Careless operation of a vessel brings up to a $300 fine and 30 days in jail.
LDWF agents started investigating a boating incident on the south end of False River on Aug. 8. Through the investigation, agents learned that Richard was operating a 20-foot pontoon boat at 4:25 p.m. when he collided with three juveniles being pulled on a tube from another vessel.
According to witnesses and those involved with the incident, Richard initially jumped in the water to check on the three juveniles, but then got back on his boat and left the scene to go back to his camp on False River and then home to Carencro. One of the juveniles in the tube suffered a fractured pelvis and was airlifted to Our Lady of the Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge.
Agents interviewed more than a dozen witnesses, some still at the scene after the incident, and others were located days later.
News Ten did reach out to District Attorney Don Landry and asked if Richard would be suspended or if he would be terminated from his position at the D.A.’s office.
Landry said he had no comment.