A New Iberia resident was sentenced to 25 years at hard labor for vehicular homicide in connection with a deadly DWI crash that took place in 2017, according to a prepared statement by the 16th Judicial District Court. 

District Attorney Bo Duhé said that Leslie Migues, 40, was sentenced Tuesday in the 16th JDC, with Judge Lori Landry presiding. Five of those years must be served without the benefit of probation or parole. 

According to the statement, Louisiana State Police were notified April 2, 2017, of a critical injury crash in the westbound lane of Interstate 10 in St. Martin Parish. The crash occurred on an elevated portion of the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge. 

The defendant drove in the wrong direction on I-10 for approximately nine miles before striking another vehicle head-on. Migues’s vehicle then struck another vehicle, resulting in a three-car-collision. 

Amanda Ceruti, 25, of St. Petersburg, Florida, suffered life-threatening injuries and later died at a nearby hospital as a result of the crash. Migues’ blood alcohol concentration level was .184, more than twice the legal limit. 

Evidence of Migues’ criminal history, which included three prior DWI convictions dating back to 2007, was presented before Judge Landry at a sentencing hearing on Tuesday. 

The maximum penalty for vehicular homicide in Louisiana is 30 years hard labor. 

“The sentence imposed by Judge Landry reflects the seriousness of this tragic event,” Duhé said in a prepared statement. 

“This case should serve as a reminder that driving while impaired comes with a cost.”