A Walker man accused of striking and killing longtime crossing guard Katy Wells while driving drunk pleaded not guilty Tuesday in a Livingston Parish courtroom.
Darren Goudeau, 64, entered the plea to charges of vehicular homicide and second-offense driving while intoxicated, according to a spokesperson for District Attorney Scott Perriloux's office. He is due back in court Aug. 18.
Wells was directing traffic after school dismissal near Gray's Creek Elementary on April 30 when Goudeau, traveling on Louisiana Highway 16, struck her, according to the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office. She died as a result of the crash.
Goudeau was initially booked on a first-offense DWI charge, which authorities later upgraded to a second offense after learning he had been arrested for DWI in a neighboring parish in September 2022.
Wells spent more than 40 years with Seventh Ward Elementary. Though she had retired, she stayed on as a crossing guard with the sheriff's office. Sheriff Jason Ard called her death a tragic loss and described her as a well-known and beloved figure in the community.
