An off duty Louisiana State Trooper has been officially charged for his involvement in a fatal crash.

Patrick Bell, 45, of Merryville has been arrested and charged with intoxication manslaughter by the Texas Department of Public Safety.

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Sergeant James Anderson, Louisiana State Police Troop D Spokesperson, released a press statement saying that Bell was driving a 2018 GMC Sierra west on Texas State Highway 63 in Jasper County. At some point his vehicle traveled off the roadway and struck a pedestrian walking on the shoulder of the highway. The pedestrian died from injuries sustained during the crash. The Texas Department of Public Safety ran a toxicology screen, which indicated Bell was over the legal limit for intoxication.

Beauregard Parish Jail
Beauregard Parish Jail
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In a joint effort between the Louisiana State Police and the Texas Department of Public Safety Troopers, Bell was arrested without incident and booked into the Beauregard Parish Jail awaiting extradition to Texas.

According to Sgt. Anderson, at the time of the crash, Bell was off-duty having been on workers’ compensation leave since 2017 with all law enforcement property already recovered by the department. Prior to the workers’ compensation leave, Bell had been assigned to patrol at Troop D since 2001.

Further inquiries on the fatal crash and criminal charges should be referred to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

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