On election day, a Louisiana mayor who was vying for re-election perished in an automobile accident.
Mayor Velma Hendrix of Melville was murdered after a motorist ran a stop sign and drove into her vehicle on Tuesday morning, according to Louisiana State Police.
The late mayor, who was 84 years old, was allegedly not wearing a seat belt when a RAM pick-up truck ploughed into her while she was seated in the rear-left passenger seat of an Acura.
According to authorities, Michael Cook had been operating the truck while Hendrix’s vehicle was travelling west.
He is accused of ramming Hendrix’s vehicle with the front of the RAM after failing to yield at a highway crossroads.
Hendrix was brought to a nearby hospital in a serious condition, where she later passed away from her wounds.
Three other passengers and the car’s driver, all of whom had moderate to serious injuries, were also sent to nearby hospitals.
Cook was not only not buckled up, but he was unharmed.
He received tickets for not wearing a seat belt and failing to yield at a stop sign. Despite the fact that the accident is still being investigated, he displayed no indicators of intoxication or impairment while driving.
The election for mayor of Melville has been rescheduled to December 10 as a result of the terrible event, according to a statement from the St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court. Qualifying will be reopened until November 13.
The clerk announced, “The candidates from November 8, 2022 with the most votes will be declared Mayor of Melville if no one else qualifies before Monday, November 14, 2022.
According to state data, Sheila “Sam” Londerno defeated fellow Democrat Caretta Robertson with 52% of the vote in the fight for Tuesday’s election.
The state election information page did not mention Hendrix.
