Suspected DWI crash leaves woman dead, 2 kids hurt

ETHEL, LA (WAFB) - A woman died, two children were injured and a man faces multiple charges after a single-car crash in which all four of them were thrown out of the vehicle Sunday evening.

The Louisiana State Police said Gregory Brown, 31, of Ethel, was driving a 1996 Chevrolet Tahoe when it veered off the road and hit a ditch on LA 955 near Ethel around 7:30 p.m.

Dominique Gales, 25, of Jackson, was killed and two kids, ages three and five, were flown to the hospital by helicopter.

They sustained serious injuries in the wreck. Gales was pronounced dead on the scene.

Troopers said they believe alcohol was a factor in the crash and none of the people in the SUV was properly restrained.

Brown was charged with reckless operation, DWI with children in the vehicle (known as the Child Endangerment Law), two counts of failure to properly restrain a child in the vehicle and failure to wear a seat belt.

The crash is still being investigated and additional charges could be filed.

Authorities said the preliminary investigation indicated the Tahoe was headed east on LA 955, west of LA 19, when he went off the road.

They reported Brown over-corrected and drove across to the other side of the highway.

While crossing the roadway, the vehicle started spinning and flipped. It hit a ditch and ended up on its wheels in it.

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