Sad and tragic news out of Louisiana as someone else’s fatal mistake cost a beloved leader of the community her life.
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It is horrific when bad things happen to apparently good people. Nobody is without fault in life, but in this instance a beloved former educator, city council member, and mayoral candidate tragically died in a car accident in Louisiana.
Daily wire reported. A Louisiana mayor running for re-election was killed in a car crash on Election Day, according to state police.
Melville Mayor Velma D. Hendrix, 84, died in a two-vehicle accident just before 2 p.m. Central Time near Port Barre, Louisiana. The mayor was a longtime educator in the St. Landy Parish school system. Hendrix was first elected to office in 2018. She also previously served as a town alderman.
Louisiana State Police issued a statement on the accident “The preliminary investigation revealed a 2015 Ram 2500 pickup, driven by Michael Cook of Columbia, LA., was traveling south of LA 741. At the same time, a 2008 Acura RDX was traveling west on US 190, As the Acura approached the intersection, Cook failed to yield as he attempted to cross over both westbound lanes of US 190. The front of the Ram struck the passenger side of the Acura in the westbound lane of travel,”
Hendrix, a Democrat, was a passenger in the rear left seat of the vehicle struck during the accident. She was reportedly not wearing a seatbelt and was taken to a local hospital in critical condition before passing away. Three other passengers in the vehicle, including the driver, also suffered injuries and were treated at local hospitals.
Cook was reportedly cited for not wearing a seatbelt and not yielding at a stop sign. A breath sample indicated no signs of alcohol or impairment.
If this is not sad enough another mayoral candidate has recently died in
But Hendrix unfortunately isn’t the only one to die during election time. James Carter, a mayoral candidate out of Natchitoches died Monday morning.
Election officials told KATC under these circumstances, protocol requires that the local elections are canceled and that the qualifying period is reopened.
St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court Charles Jagneaux said there is, however, a caveat.
“If no one qualifies then the top vote-getter in the election is declared the mayor, if someone else qualifies then they’ll have the election in December on the 10th,” he said.
We are thinking and praying for those communities after such horrific losses. Earlier this year also a sitting congresswoman Jackie Walorski also died due to injuries sustained in a car accident while on the campaign trail. While people get heated over political party affiliations, death is something that crosses party lines. All lives should be celebrated, our deepest condolences to the families of the mayoral candidates, and to the communities that they served.
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