Man killed after falling off float
NEW ROADS — A New Roads man who fell from a Mardi Gras float was killed Tuesday when the float and a pickup truck ran over him on La. 10 near La. 420, a State Police spokesman said.
James Lee, 58, was standing on the tongue of the Albert Family and Friends float, being pulled by a Ford F-250, in the 69th annual Lions Club Carnival Parade around 5:30 p.m., shortly after the parade had ended, Trooper Russell Graham said in a news release.
Lee slipped and fell to the ground, then was run over by the float as it kept moving forward, Graham said.
A 1999 Dodge pickup truck closely following the float also struck Lee, Graham said.
Lee was pronounced dead on the scene by the Pointe Coupee Parish Coroner’s Office, Graham said.
Troopers do not believe alcohol was a factor in the crash, but both drivers voluntarily submitted breath samples that showed no alcohol in their systems, Graham said.
Troopers have also submitted a sample of Lee’s blood to the State Police Crime Laboratory for analysis, Graham said.