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Man booked in deadly police chase has links to street-racing group that caused traffic mayhem Saturday

1 year 11 months 2 weeks ago Monday, May 02 2022 May 2, 2022 May 02, 2022 11:43 AM May 02, 2022 in Crime
Source: WBRZ

BATON ROUGE - A man accused of killing a woman after he ran a red light while racing away from police Saturday is tied to the same group that took credit for clogging up a major street as concertgoers were leaving Garth Brooks' sold-out show at Tiger Stadium.

The Baton Rouge Police Department said Darrien Rogers, 22, was trying to get away from officers in his Dodge Charger when he plowed into another driver at Scenic Highway and Fuqua Street around 10 p.m. Saturday, within an hour of the concert letting out. 

In a news release, police said they tried to stop Rogers after he was seen driving the wrong way on Choctaw Drive near Acadian Thruway. The department said Rogers refused to stop for police and reached speeds greater than 120 miles per hour while driving against oncoming traffic in the moments before the crash. 

The driver inside the vehicle that was hit, 49-year-old Sherell Weston, died at the crash scene.

Her family said they have an incredible void that will never be filled following her death.

"She was the glue to the whole family," said Korea Elzy, Sherell's daughter. "We are a close-knit family, and for us to lose her, it will be a void we will always have."

Rogers suffered minor injuries and was booked for manslaughter, flight from an officer and multiple traffic violations. He was released on a $62,000 bond.

Weston's family raised questions about the bond set by Judge Beau Higginbotham over the weekend.

"Had Sherell's last name been Higginbotham and not Weston, Mr. Rogers would not be out on bail right now," said Doris McWhite Weston, another relative.

WBRZ reached out to Judge Higginbotham. His office declined to comment, citing the pending case.

McWhite Weston is a lawyer and said this case has made her lose confidence in the judicial system.

"To know that the judicial system set a bond so low that he was able to bond out less than 24 hours after killing someone is unbelievable," McWhite Weston said.

The WBRZ Investigative Unit went looking for Rogers at his home Monday. A voice answered the automated video doorbell but said they were not home.

Rogers' social media is littered with references to the "Highway Demons," a car group that claimed responsibility online for stunts that shut down College Drive at I-10 Saturday night as hordes of drivers were leaving the packed concert at Tiger Stadium, which hosted more than 100,000 fans.

Rogers wrote on social media, "I don't have my main phone if y'all tried to text me. Thank you to the ones that showed support. Y'all know me. But I'm home now. Just f***** up rn. And don't always believe the lies when the media puts out"

Baton Rouge police said they're investigating videos which showed those reckless drivers and a crowd made up of seemingly hundreds of onlookers blocking traffic at various spots around the city. They believe Rogers was part of a racing group, but have been limited on releasing information connecting him to the College drive situation Saturday.

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