A victim of a crash that killed two people in Denham Springs sustained a gunshot wound to his leg prior to the collision, the Denham Springs Police Department said Tuesday.
The driver of a southbound 2007 Volvo sedan on La. 16 near Tate Road lost control, exited the roadway to the right, re-entered the roadway and crossed the center line, police said. A northbound 2005 Dodge 2500 pickup then stuck the Volvo, instantly killing driver Jude Landry, 28, and passenger Justin Turner, 27, both of Denham Springs, police said.
The driver of the Dodge, Kevin Young II, 23, of Denham Springs, was transported to a hospital with minor injuries.
While investigating the crash, police said they discovered Turner had been shot in the leg before the collision and found several bullet holes in the driver's side of the Volvo.
Police had responded to reports of gunshots on Martin Luther King Boulevard moments before the crash but found no evidence of a shooting. Police said they believe Turner and Landry were involved in an altercation prior to the crash.
The crash was investigated by the department's Traffic and Crime Scene divisions and the shooting was investigated by the Detective Division, police said.
Routine toxicology reports are pending on Landry and Turner, police said.