A 16-year-old from Lafayette died early Tuesday after a police chase ended in the crash of a stolen vehicle.
George Desamon Jr. died in the 2:30 a.m. crash, troopers say.
Carencro Police tried to stop a vehicle on La. 182 near Prejean Road; the driver allegedly refused to stop and a pursuit began that ended with the fatal crash, troopers say.
State Police say their initial investigation revealed the officer attempted a traffic stop on LA 182 in Carencro on a 2019 Ford Explorer for driving with no taillights.
The driver, identified by troopers as Jamari Tillman, 18, of Morgan City, fled at a high rate of speed. He lost control of the vehicle and ran off the road; the Explorer overturned and then came to rest in the parking lot of the Carencro Community Center.
The Explorer had been reported stolen in Lafayette, troopers say.
Desamon in the passenger seat and was not wearing his seat belt, troopers say. He was pronounced dead at the scene by the Lafayette Parish Coroner’s Office. Tillman also wasn't wearing his seat belt, but he was transported to a local hospital with moderate injuries. A toxicology sample was obtained and will be submitted for analysis.
This crash remains under investigation and charges are pending.
In 2022, Troop I has investigated 18 fatal crashes resulting in 21 deaths.
