LAPLACE, Louisiana – A Mississippi man who originally suffered injuries in a deadly bus caused by illegal immigrant workers has now become the third fatality of the incident.
Vontarous Kelly, 33-years-old of Moss Point, Mississippi died, Louisiana State Police announced. According to the Associated Press, Kelly was sitting in the passenger seat of Jermaine Starr’s vehicle when the bus, driven by Denis Yasmir Amaya Rodriguez, crashed into an ongoing minor car wreck that had occurred nearby.
Starr, 21-years-old, was announced dead the day of the crash, along with 36-year-old St. John District Fire Chief Spencer Chauvin of Gramercy, Louisiana, as Breitbart Texas previously reported.
During a heart-felt ceremony in St. John Parish, Chauvin was remembered by law enforcement officials, first responders, family and friends.
“Spencer … left an example,” said childhood friend of Chauvin’s, Derrius Taylor to the Advocate. “Think less of yourself and give your life to the whole, because that’s what he did.”
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards also lowered the state’s flag to half-staff for Chief Chauvin.
“By all accounts, District Chief Chauvin was a courageous hero who never missed an opportunity to save a life or have the back of one of his fellow first responders,” said Edwards in a statement to ArkLaTex. “He was an example of what it means to serve your community with integrity and honor. Donna and I are keeping his family and friends in our prayers as they mourn the loss of a man who will always be remembered as a hero.”
Chauvin leaves behind a wife and two children.
Rodriguez, the 37-year-old Honduran national driving the bus, was heading to Baton Rouge, Louisiana with roughly 30 to 40 illegal immigrant workers who were reportedly connected to an Arkansas-based company to aid in relief work following unprecedented flooding.
At the time, Breitbart Texas reported how the Arkansas company is co-owned by local Louisiana Constable Eddie Schmidt, as well as David Wallace, a state legislator in Arkansas.
Now, however, Wallace’s attorneys claim the company would have never hired illegal immigrant workers, rebutting ever being involved with the group of foreign nationals, according to Blytheville Courier News.
John Binder is a contributor for Breitbart Texas. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.