Attorney who left scene of boating crash that injured kids is also a prosecutor

NEW STREETS – The attorney who fled a boating accident that injured children is also a prosecutor for the Lafayette prosecutor, the WBRZ investigative unit confirmed Thursday.

That lawyer, Chris Richard, left the scene of a boat crash on the False River on Sunday, according to Sheriff Rene Thibodeaux. Richard was at his home in Carencro, near Lafayette, while investigators were still gathering evidence on the scene at Pointe Coupee Parish. One child was so badly injured that AirMed had to take them to the hospital. Another child came in the ambulance and a third refused treatment.

Thibodeaux said Richard drove the boat that crashed into the tube the children were in.

The WBRZ investigative unit traveled to Lafayette to seek answers from Richard Thursday. In the heart of downtown, Richard’s office was locked tight with the lights off. A woman answered the phone at the number we found online.

She said the office was open but didn’t know we were at the front door and were trying to get in. She also said Richard was out of the office.

The WBRZ investigative unit has also made numerous requests to speak to District Attorney Don Landry to determine Richard’s status after the boating accident. Landry answered our calls late Thursday afternoon. He declined to comment, citing the pending investigation and would not answer questions about Richard’s job in his office.

However, bailiffs have easily confirmed that Richard is an ADA handling misdemeanor cases for the district attorney.

Richard’s lawyer website shows that he specializes in personal injury and DWI cases.

Sources tell WBRZ that when agents from the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries located him in Carencro, he did not undergo a alcohol test. He also didn’t give a solid explanation for why he left the scene.

The WBRZ investigative unit has repeatedly asked the state LDWF why Richard was not arrested on Sunday and why the boat our sources said was sailing was not taken as evidence.

Press spokesman Ed Pratt referred us again to his statement yesterday.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division is investigating a boat incident in Pointe Coupee Parish that occurred on August 8 in False River. The incident involved a pontoon boat that hit three teenagers in the water who were floating in tubes. The investigation continues as agents gather testimony from witnesses and people involved in the incident. After the investigation is complete, charges may be pending. LDWF cannot provide any further comments or information until the investigation has been completed.