[StBernard] St. Bernard man killed in bizarre ATV accident

[Westley Annis]

St. Bernard man killed in bizarre ATV accident
by St. Bernard bureau 
Monday March 02, 2009, 4:56 PM
In a bizarre Sunday night accident, a St. Bernard Parish man driving an
all-terrain vehicle in a rural section of the parish died after being struck
from behind by his girlfriend, who told sheriff's deputies she had no idea
he was on the road ahead of her pickup truck. 


Thomas Houck, 49, was driving the four-wheeler without lights Sunday along
Bayou Road in eastern St. Bernard when he was struck at about 7:45 p.m.,
according to a news release from the St. Bernard Sheriff's Office. Houck had
been with his girlfriend, Verna Defes Simmons, 49, less than an hour
earlier, deputies said, but he left to get the all-terrain vehicle. Simmons
and three other passengers in the truck said they didn't know Houck was in
the road ahead. 

No charges have been filed, although Sheriff Jack Stephens said the incident
is it still under investigation. Driving all-terrain vehicles on state or
parish roads is against the law. 

Chief Deputy James Pohlmann called the case "unusual," but said "there's no
reason to believe that it's intentional at this point" because of the
statements from the other passengers in the pickup truck car and skid marks
that were found in the road near the accident scene.

It is still unclear how fast - or even if - whether Houck's vehicle was
moving had broken down when it he was hit by the Chevrolet pickup truck,
according to the news release.