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1 injured in hit-and-run crash, Livingston family calling for harsher penalties for hit-and-runs
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ALBANY — Around 4:30 a.m. Monday, James Macias says his mom, Cynthia Macias, was driving her typical route to work when she was struck by a vehicle.
"She looked up; the guy was completely in her lane. She swerved to the left; she was eastbound, he was westbound, and she swerved to the left, and he caught her right at the passenger side. A foot, any kind of delayed reaction, she'd be dead," James Macias said.
The crash happened along La. Highway 190 between Holden and Albany. According to state police, the driver of the vehicle that struck Macias hopped out of his car and left the scene.
State police arrested 36-year-old James Middleton on hit-and-run and third-offense DWI charges.
"It amazes me that you know, there's just this disregard of life and that people are able to just hit somebody, crash into somebody, kill somebody, and just leave," Macias said.
Macias says his mother has two broken ribs, spinal issues, and a concussion from the crash.
He added this is not the first time they have been impacted by a negligent driver. Macias tells me his daughter was injured in a hit-and-run crash in October of 2024.
"Enough is enough, something has to be done in the state of Louisiana, because it's just all over the news right now," Macias said.
Macias says he would like to see harsher penalties for hit-and-run drivers, something Holly Crow has been working on in honor of her daughter, Jody Mann, who died after a hit-and-run crash last year.
"Every time I see another hit-and-run, it brings me right back to where I was the night I got the phone call about my daughter. I never want to see anybody go through this," Crow said.
Jody's Law went into effect last month, strengthening Louisiana's hit-and-run law and requiring those accused in a hit-and-run to go before a judge before getting bail. Crow says she is still working to put stricter laws in place for these types of crimes.
"We want to increase that max from 10 to 20 years. We also want to implement Jody alerts, which would be very similar to Amber Alerts; they would go across cellphones, highway signs, and emergency broadcasts," Crow said.
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