Categorized | Crime

Couple Booked in St Charles Fatal Hit and Run on US 90

Posted on 03 January 2010. Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

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On January 1, 2010, at approximately 2:48 AM, Troop B was notified of a man’s body lying on the shoulder of the road on US 90 east at mile post 235, which is approximately 0.4 miles west of LA 632. The man was identified as Chad M. Gaubert (W/M, age 28) of Paradis, LA.

On Saturday, January 02, 2010, Jennifer Theriot (W/F, age 28) and William Theriot (W/M, age 30), both of Lockport, LA, entered the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office and turned themselves in, admitting they hit a pedestrian on US 90 east on January 1, 2010. Jennifer Theriot told investigators that she was driving a 2008 Jeep Wrangler and hit a pedestrian that was walking in the middle of the roadway. William Theriot was a passenger in the Jeep at the time of the crash. After hitting the pedestrian, both Jennifer and William Theriot exited the Jeep an observed the victim lying on the roadway. Without rendering aid or reporting the crash, they then fled the scene.

Jennifer Theriot was booked into St. Charles Parish lock-up for Felony Hit and Run. William Theriot was also booked for Accessory After the Fact relating to the Felony Hit and Run.

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  • Autumn Seeser

    Chad was my husbands best friend. Its a sad day when you have to watch a family go through such a horrible situation that could have been prevented. Was the driver drinking? It was New Years night so the odds are pretty high that she was. Would they have left the scene if she wasnt? Chad was a good friend and a wonderful father to 2 boys who I know will miss him. Now because of carelessness, 2 boys are without their father, grandparents are without their grandson, and my husband is left without his best friend who was more like a brother to him. At least now he can rest in peace with his mom in heaven. Chad was a loved friend and he will be missed dearly.

  • Pingback: Father of William Theriot Speaks Out About Charges Against his Son | Baton Rouge Today

  • Rob

    Autumn,

    My condolences to you for losing such a close friend. The sad part is that this “carelessness” that you spoke of could only be the poor decision of Chad to end his life by WALKING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY!

  • Dave R

    Rob (and i’ll assume you are the Rob that is the father of the accused), perhaps this man did walk out in traffic and for that he was hit, but it takes a murderer and a coward that hits someone to leave the scene and hide like a little baby. Yes, I am speaking of your son and daughter-in-law, the murderers. Let me tell you why they are murderers and it was their fault. If this deceased man truly was standing in the middle of the roadway when he was hit, anyone with an IQ higher than a peach knows they are not at fault so they would obviously stick around and call 911 while offering assistance. Is that the case here? Nope. Your little murderer son left the scene like a coward and ran home. So, yeah, i’d rather be the mother/father/friend of an innocent victim than the mother/father/friend of a coward/drunk/murderer/heartless human being that has no regard for anyone else’s life. Chew on that while you are forking over your life savings to defend that piece of garbage son of yours who left an injured man lying in the middle of the road and drove off.

  • robert theriot

    Now Dave R …. lets put the blame where the guilt is MY SON WAS NOT DRIVING, his wife was. Did you not read the article. Why does everyone assume that the man of the household is the blame? Sometimes it is the woman at fault! There are cases all the time where the woman is guilty, and there are even jails built for only woman. People need to read the article and understand what they are reading before rendering an opionon. My son is being railroaded into a plea bargain situation so this woman can walk the streets. Please let us not allow this woman to get her another man and do the samething again. Lets convict the right person.

  • Dave R

    Let me quote the article so that the point of my post will make itself a little clearer:

    ____________________
    After hitting the pedestrian, both Jennifer and William Theriot exited the Jeep an observed the victim lying on the roadway. Without rendering aid or reporting the crash, they then fled the scene.
    ————————————-

    Your son was not railroaded, he left a man to die and drove off like the selfish piece of trash he is. Its not a matter of who was driving, Robert. Your son is a coward and as far as I’m concerned, he’s just as guilty as the woman he was riding with. Don’t give me this railroaded garbage. You know for a fact if your precious little murderer was the one laying in the road while the responsible people just drove off and left him there like a possum, you’d be on this site whining about how those 2 people should be put in jail for life. The proof that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree is in your first post when you had the audacity to try and shift the blame to the victim for being in the street. Had your coward son stuck around and rendered aid then assisted the police in the investigation, he would not have faced any charges if Gaubert was truly in the lane of travel. Now that your boy is behind bars he is unable to run from justice once again. I personally hope they throw the book at him and make him repay Gaubert’s family for the rest of his life every dime he makes. I will personally follow this story and work with Baton Rouge Today to make sure everyone gets to see justice being done.

  • George W

    The choices he made that night to let her drink and drive (i’m giving the benefit of the doubt and not say drugs), and then to leave the scene instead of dealing with a bad situation like a man are what brought this on him. He didn’t get “railroaded” by anyone except himself.

    Maybe if you had raised him to be a man of conscience and integrity, he wouldn’t have been in that situation.

    See what I did there? See how easy it is to shift the blame to you, like you did to her?

    Rob, I find it despicable that you can’t see that your kid is just as deep in this as she is. Maybe the apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree….

  • robert theriot

    Tell me now George W and Dave R why are you protecting the driver of the car…do you think this person should be set free to tangle another web of problems?… I surely pray you really do believe she should pay for her sins. If you read my first comment you will see that I do not agree with my sons decision. He is 30 years old, he made a mistake and needs to pay the price, but he was a passenger in a car that hit a person. Let us not get personal about me for I know nothing about you, but I will say you will not find one infraction on my record or character. Let us make sure that the system prosecutes the driver for this hideous crime also and no excuses just because she has an attorney of influence

  • Jason225

    From what I read, I see no one protecting the driver or anyone for that matter. Here’s what I do see though:

    Robert Theriot disrespects dead man by telling him not to walk in the street
    Robert Theriot crying about his son being in jail for simply being in the car
    Robert Theriot refusing to comment about why his useless son left a man in the street to die

    Tell us Mr. Theriot, if your son is innocent why did he leave Mr. Gaubert bleeding and lying in the street to die? If I hit someone, whether I was right or wrong, I’d surely not leave the poor soul lying in the street and leave selfishly, to avoid prosection. Your son is worthless in my eyes. Maybe if he gets shanked in prison and left to die you’ll understand what its like.

  • robert theriot

    It appears Jason225 feels the driver was not guilty of anything…what gives?…why is it that I see no negative comments about the driver?…I am at a lost

  • Jason225

    The driver’s father is not here making excuses for her and trying to shift the blame. You are here as if your son is such an angel yet you still have yet to explain why your little boy left a man lying in the road to die. I assume your next reply will be more side stepping as well. I guess when the truth is so obvious, there’s really nothing you can do except talk about something else, like, say the ‘other guy’

  • Rob

    This is the Rob that posted the first comment, not the father of William.

    I agree that William and Jenny made a very thoughtless decision by leaving the scene. However, if someone is walking in the middle of the highway (and the police already have witness testimony that says so) and is struck by a vehicle going at least 55mph, what makes you think that they would survive? Let’s face it….Chad was trying to kill himself.

    None of us here can honestly say what we would’ve done in this situation. One thing is for certain: the kind of person that would’ve left the scene is the same kind of person that hides behind a computer casting out others.

  • Femme Au Fait

    I am not trying excuse what Jennifer or Billy did… but gentlemen – have you looked up the parish records? Did you see that Jennifer – the one who MURDERED Chad was released on $5,000 bail and Billy who was not driving is being held on a $150,000 bond? Why is a MURDERER back on the streets? Why was she released on $5,000 bail after she admittedly confessed to murdering Chad?

    This seems extremely sexist. As a Female, if I was driving a vehicle all messed up like she was and killed someone – I would expect that I would be responsible for my actions – not my husband. Us women have brains too and we can think for ourselves. We know right from wrong, too. No one forced Jennifer to get behind a vehicle. To play the gender card – A woman is suppose to have care and compassion for human life – not be a careless mother, drive messed up and not think twice to leave the man she killed in the middle of the road like she did.

    As the victim of an accident caused by a person driving under the influence, I understand the law quite clearly. The person who was DRIVING the vehicle that struck me was responsible for their actions not the passenger. Jennifer should take accountability for actions. She took away the father of two little boys because She Chose to drive. At least Billy had a little more common sense then to get behind the wheel. They both should be held accountable for their actions – fleeing the scene was criminal on both parts but if anyone should be out on bail it should be the person with lesser charges. This is what is screwed up with our legal system. Personally, I would rather have people with more charges especially one like HOMICIDE in jail than some booked as an Accessory. Wouldn’t you? At least in jail she wouldn’t have the opportunity to harm more innocent lives.

    Direct your frustration and mean spirited words in the correct way – toward the Judicial system. Next time it might be you or your son sitting in jail taking the blame for something a female did. Finally, a benefit for being a female!

    To look at arrest summary go to:
    http://www.stcharlessheriff.org/pr/p1262634847.pdf

    Offender Locator system to the public. Individuals, using a touch tone or cell phone, may call 225-383-4580 to access the new Offender Locator system 24 hours a day.

    PS I don’t think the first Rob was Robert Theriot. Rob is not that uncommon of a name.

  • admin

    Rob, I do not see the similarities between someone who runs a person over and then leaves them in the road to die and someone who expresses their opinion about that incident, but perhaps I’m missing something. If you are saying its OK to leave someone lying in the road dying because they were obviously trying to kill themselves, then I really don’t think you’re mentally stable enough to be making a call on right or wrong.

  • robert theriot

    Femme Au Fait,

    First of all, thank you so much for your comment. You really straighetened out a lot of issues.

    If you access the Louisiana State Police report on the incident you will notice that Jenny was charged with felony hit and run and William was charged with accessory after the fact. However, on the St. Charles parish report you will notice that Jenny is charged with hit and run- fatality and William was charged with principle to hit and run with death or injury.

    My question is this: how were their charges increased from the time they turned themself into the State Police to the time they got to St. Charles parish? More importantly, how could William have gone from just an accessory to principle?

    You have no idea how much your comments helped me. Thank you for your assistance.

  • Jason225

    Rob, RS 14:24 of the Louisiana Criminal Code defines principal as

    “All persons concerned in the commission of a crime, whether present or absent, and whether they directly commit the act constituting the offense, aid and abet in its commission, or directly or indirectly counsel or procure another to commit the crime, are principals.”

    but it defines accessory as:

    “An accessory after the fact is any person who, after the commission of a felony, shall harbor, conceal, or aid the offender, knowing or having reasonable ground to believe that he has committed the felony, and with the intent that he may avoid or escape from arrest, trial, conviction, or punishment. ‘

    It would appear that this should be a charge of accessory and not principal, but there could be some underlying circumstances that we are not aware of.

  • Candy

    I can imagine that the couple is going through a huge ordeal right now. What they did was terrible, I have known Chad for a long time and its a real unfortunate situation all the way around. I don’t know for sure but it appears that the couple also has kids on their myspace. Whatever they need to do for the crime that they comitted they are going to have to do now. I am VERY thankful that they turned themselves in and justice will find its way through this situation, Chad was a very good person and I am not saying that because he lost his life but he really did have a good heart and went through alot. Chad was also not trying to kill himself and I can guarantee you that. He could have driven and not been on that dark road but he left his car home because it was new years and he was going to drink. He made the best decision he could have in the situation and unfortunately it was just not a good night. That couple will suffer with the site, thought, and remorse of what they did even if they both don’t go to Jail for it. Mr. Theriot, you need to accept what has been done and respect your son for being the man that he is and handling this situation. The “woman driver” is his wife, and your DAUGHTER IN LAW. I love how this situation as unfortunate as it is makes you completely turn on those two and now you want to call only one of them a murderer. You respectfully shouldn’t even be here calling anyone a murderer and you should be praying that your son and DAUGHTER IN LAW are ok. Everyone makes mistakes and bad decisions and those people will suffer for it in the own way. The situation is finished now, Chad has been laid to rest, and that couple has alot to answer for now. Move the situation on and go be there for your kids, and grandkids. They are both just as guilty, if it was you and your wife and you loved her would you hang her out to dry like you wish your son to do for his wife?

  • George W

    I wasn’t letting the woman off the hook. I was just letting you know your son is just as much of a scumbag and is just as guilty as she is….and you are a piece of trash for attempting to blame the victim.

  • jackson

    The reason his bail is so much higher is because there is more than one felony on his record already! The reason his father, whom has the resources to get him out of jail,has not yet bailed him out is because he doesn’t trust that his son will make the right decisions from here on out. Obviously robert feels william has a huge lesson to learn after strike 3! As far as jennifer, she is and will pay for her actions, hopefully! They both deserve to have to book thrown at them!!

  • Curious

    Jackson, George w, Dave r and anyone else who believes Chad was such a wonderful person where were y’all to render aid on that night. I don’t doubt he was a good person but personaly I would feel just as guilty as the couple who made a mistake and lost everything because of it. I would feel guilty if I was that close to someone yet let him leave a bar and walk back and forth a major highway. I know the other two victims from that night and they are good people who’s world has been turned upside down. This incident was a tragedy all the way around and blaming people, while easy to do, will not bring Chad back and will not ease the torment that couple will deal with for the rest of their life.

  • admin

    Curious (aka william theriot) are you seriously calling into question the lifestyle of the guy who was killed? I would have never thought anyone could have the audacity to do that. I see you asked some other posters where they were that night and why they weren’t there to render aid. I can’t believe i’m going to waste my time answering that, but here goes:

    The guys who weren’t there to render aid probably don’t spend their lives patrolling the highways looking for pedestrians who were struck and killed by 2 drunks then left on the side of the road to die like a possum. Now I ask you, where were the 2 ‘good’ people who hit this man and then left the scene like the 2 criminals they are? I’ll tell you where they were, they were hauling butt home to protect their own criminal history, with no regard for the poor man they hit.

    Perhaps he was in the middle of the road, sure, i’ll buy that. But if that were the case, they would have faced no charges other than DWI possibly. However, they could have possibly saved a life by providing aid or at the very least calling 911. They chose option B, flee the scene and forget about everyone except themselves. Complete cowards and useless to society in my opinion. Please don’t come here and talk ill of the deceased, it’s completely uncalled for.

    And just FYI, even if I ran over Adolph Hitler himself, i’d at the very least, stop and render first aid. It’s the right thing to do. Ask anyone.

  • tina m

    I also am a grandmother of a child being hit and the driver left. Just July 1st 2011 my grandson was hit by someone and they left the scene. I have no sympathy for either of the two in the car. If he being a grown man should have either stayed at the scene and or called the police himself. But, they both should get the same punishment. We are too easy on people that have no regard for human life. If it was the other way around and it was your child lying on the ground then how would you feel. I feel they both need to get some time to sit their ass in jail.


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