Two killed in Baton Rouge hit-and-run involving impaired driver

An LSU senior and her fiancé were killed early Sunday morning, October 18, after being struck by an impaired driver in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The victims, identified as 21-year-old Leah Victoria Fonte and 21-year-old Shane David Hirstius, were walking along the shoulder of Nicholson Drive near the Louisiana State University campus when the collision occurred.

Baton Rouge Police arrested 20-year-old Mia Camille Dawson following the incident. Investigators allege that Dawson, driving a 2016 Nissan Rogue, veered off the roadway and struck the couple. Dawson reportedly fled the scene before being located by officers in the 1900 block of Nicholson Drive. She faces multiple charges, including vehicular homicide, hit-and-run driving, operating while impaired, and reckless operation of a vehicle.

Fonte, a biological sciences student on a pre-dental track, was pronounced dead at the scene. Hirstius, a volunteer firefighter, was transported to a hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries. LSU Chancellor Jim Dalton issued a statement expressing condolences and noting that the university has made counseling and support resources available to the campus community.