Report: Man accused in hit & run deaths of SLU students had previous DWI arrest

HAMMOND, LA (WAFB) - Officials say the man who was allegedly driving drunk and slammed into a group walking from a nightclub near Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond early Friday morning, killing three people, two of them current students, has been arrested for DWI in the past.

According to a published report, the Tangipahoa Parish prison says Derek Quebedeaux, who is now 21 years old, was booked in February 2007 for drunk driving. Besides that arrest, Quebedeaux has pleaded guilty to three traffic-related offenses in East Baton Rouge and Tangipahoa parishes.

Meanwhile, a Hammond hospital says 18-year-old Nadine Steward of England is now in serious condition. She had previously been listed in critical condition. Steward is a freshman on the Lions women's tennis team.

A memorial is being planned for Thursday to honor 19-year-old Beth Boudreaux of Husser, Louisiana and 24-year-old Thurman "Rion" Lowe, III of Kenner, the two students killed in the crash. The university calls this incident the worst tragedy in more than 20 years.

One former student, 23-year-old Maxime Profit of Vaires Sur Marne, France, was also killed and another former student, 24-year-old Maja Bradonjic of Belgrade, Serbia, received minor injuries in the hit and run crash. They were all walking on the shoulder of Nashville Avenue around 2:00am. The group had reportedly just left "The Buzz," a nightclub on University Avenue when the accident happened.

Police say Quebedeaux apparently ran off the road and hit the victims. He allegedly then left the scene. They say they found Quebedeaux's car in front of a residence on Nashville Street. He was taken into custody and booked into the Tangipahoa Parish jail on three counts of vehicular negligent homicide, two counts of vehicular negligent injury, DUI, and reckless operation. Witnesses claim Quebedeaux was driving at a high rate of speed.

The university says Profit was a business administration graduate student. Boudreaux was a sophomore psychology major and a member of Alpha Omicron Pi sorority. Thurman was a former Southeastern Louisiana University student. Steward is a freshman finance major and member of the Southeastern women's tennis team. Bradonjic is a business administration graduate and former Southeastern women's tennis player.

©2009 WAFB. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.