Hammond man killed in crash

HOLDEN — A Hammond man was killed Sunday and a passenger in his car injured after an alleged drunken driver rear-ended the man’s car on La. 441 near Holden, State Police reported.

Manual Garcia, 32, of Walker, was booked on counts of driving while intoxicated, reckless operation, hit-and-run, vehicular homicide and vehicular negligent injuring after the pickup he was driving struck a car driven by Dean Albares, Trooper Russell Graham said in a news release.

Albares’ car was forced off the roadway and spun before hitting a tree, Graham said.

Albares, 54, was pronounced dead at the scene and his passenger, Lori Histand, 32, of Hammond, was taken to a hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries, Graham said.

After the crash, Garcia continued traveling north on La. 441 before being apprehended by a Livingston Parish deputy, Graham said.

A breath test showed Garcia’s blood-alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit for drivers in Louisiana, Graham said.

Garcia was booked into the Livingston Parish Detention Center, Graham said.