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BATON ROUGE, La. — A Baton Rouge hit-and-run crash leaves one person dead and another behind bars.

In the early morning of July 8, police responded to a crash involving a pedestrian at the intersection of LA Hwy 946 (Joor Road) and Mickens Road in East Baton Rouge Parish. Police reports revealed David Copening, 41, of Baton Rouge, was walking southbound along the highway when he was struck by an unknown vehicle. Copening was pronounced dead at the scene.

After striking Copening, the vehicle fled the crash scene.

Shawn Andre, 47, of Baton Rouge (Ascension Parish Jail)

A continued investigation led police to arrest Shawn Andre, 47, of Baton Rouge, who was determined to be the driver of the vehicle.

On July 12, an arrest warrant was obtained for Andre in Ascension Parish for the following charges:

  • Three counts of Obstruction of Justice (felony)
  • Two counts of Battery of a Dating Partner (felony)
  • One count of Filing False Public Records (felony)
  • One count of Telephone Communications/Improper Language/Harassment (misdemeanor)

He was booked into the Ascension Parish Jail.

The next day, however, another arrest warrant was issued for Andre in East Baton Rouge Parish for one count of Hit and Run (felony) and one count of Obstruction of Justice (felony). Andre will be booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Jail for those charges upon his release from the Ascension Parish Jail.