Sunday, August 29, 1999

Caddo Parish Sheriff’s deputies charged a Vivian man with vehicular homicide and first degree vehicular negligent injuring after an alcohol-related one-car crash Saturday night in Northern Caddo Parish killed one of his passengers and critically injured the other.

Sheriff’s Deputy Tommy Clark, Jr., said Anthony Dwayne Thomas, 22, of 6900 Ida Boy Scout Road in Ida, died in the crash. Caddo Parish Deputy Coroner Vicki Foster pronounced Thomas dead at the scene.

Clark said Paul E. Smith, 25, of 435 Walnut Street in Vivian, apparently lost control of the 1992 Honda Accord he was driving in the 8900 block of Myra-Mertis Road at about 7:40 p.m. Saturday. Clark said the Honda was eastbound in a curve when it went off the south side of the road. The car came back onto the road and slid nearly 360 feet before going off the north side of the road, through the roadside ditch and hit a tree before coming to rest about 35 feet from the roadway.

Smith and his other passenger, Rodney Sanders, of Uncertain, Texas, were both ejected from the car. Thomas was riding in the back seat and remained in the badly crushed vehicle.

Sanders was airlifted to LSU Medical Center by the Life Air Rescue helicopter and Smith was transported to LSUMC by Air Life helicopter from Texarkana. At Midnight, Sanders was listed in critical condition and Smith was listed in serious condition. Clark said when Smith is released from the hospital he will be booked at the Caddo Correctional Center and charged with vehicular homicide and first degree vehicular negligent injuring.