Morgan City woman charged in ATV fatality

A Morgan City woman has been accused of vehicular homicide in the death of a passenger on the all-terrain vehicle she was driving, said Louisiana State Police Troop B.

Tammy Flowers, 28, turned herself in Wednesday in St. Charles Parish after she was named in a warrant alleging vehicular homicide and reckless operation, state police said. Flowers was booked into the Nelson Coleman Correctional Center.

The arrest came after toxicology samples showed that Flowers had a blood alcohol content in excess of the legal limit, state police said.

Bret Flowers, 22, died of his injuries March 5.

Troopers were called to the scene of the crash shortly before 6 p.m. March 2 on La. 631 near St. Gertrude Lane in St. Charles Parish.

The preliminary investigation revealed that Tammy Flowers was driving a 2008 Can-Am Outlander ATV east on La. 631 with Bret Flowers as a passenger. For reasons still under investigation, as the driver of the Can-Am attempted to overtake another eastbound vehicle, the ATV crossed the centerline and traveled off the roadway. It then struck the left front side of an unoccupied Jeep Cherokee parked on the westbound grassy shoulder.

Bret Flowers suffered critical injuries while Tammy Flowers suffered minor to moderate injuries. They were not wearing helmets at the time of the crash and were transported to a local hospital for treatment, state police said. On March 5, troopers were notified that Bret Flowers succumbed to his injuries from the crash.

Troopers wish to remind the public that the use of ATVs and UTVs on roadways is illegal unless directly related to farming or other duties outlined by Louisiana Revised Statue 32:299. Additionally, properly utilizing safety equipment, such as DOT-approved helmets while on motorcycles, ATVs, and UTVs and seatbelts when riding in UTVs can decrease the risk of serious injury or death.