Texas Man Arrested for Vehicular Homicide in Connection with Firey Fatal Crash in Louisiana

The Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office reported on August 16, 2022, that a Marshall, Texas man had been arrested after causing a fiery crash on U.S. Highway 80 in Louisiana in late May that killed a driver and injured two others.

According to reports, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s deputies and investigators responded to a crash on US Highway 80 in Greenwood, Louisiana, shortly before noon on May 27. When they arrived, they discovered two automobiles on fire and a third damaged. A crime scene investigator concluded that a gray pickup truck driven by 40-year-old Stephen Stasny, of Marshall, Texas was heading eastbound on Highway 80 when it crossed into oncoming traffic, colliding head-on with another pickup truck. A third vehicle then collided with the back of the second pickup truck. Stasny’s truck was found on the side of the road, while the other two vehicles caught fire.

The driver of the second truck, identified as 56-year-old James Dowden by the Caddo coroner, died at the scene, while Stasny and the occupants of the third pickup were taken to the hospital.
A toxicological test revealed that Stasny was under the influence of controlled substances. After being released from the hospital, he was apprehended in Marshall, Texas. On Friday, August 12, he was booked into the Caddo Correctional Center and charged with vehicular homicide and first-degree vehicular negligent injuring. His bond was set at $350,000 in total.

An arrest is an indication that probable cause exists to believe the subject was involved in the offense alleged. A person is innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.