Man charged with vehicular homicide after fatal Norco crash

A Kenner man was arrested for vehicular homicide more than a month after causing a crash that resulted in the death of a 25-year-old man in Norco.

Manuel D. Castro, 32, of 4333 Arizona Ave. in Kenner, was arrested on July 4 and charged with vehicular homicide, vehicular negligent injury, driving the wrong way down a one way street and not wearing a seat belt.

The State Police report said Castro was driving north in the southbound lanes of Airline Highway at around 3 a.m. on June 3 when he crashed head on into a car driven by Jeremy Fleming. Fleming died on the scene and his brother, who was riding in the car, received moderate injuries and was airlifted to Ochsner Hospital.

Castro also received minor injuries in the accident and was transported to St. Elizabeth Hospital.

At the time of the crash, authorities said Castro made statements that made it unclear whether he was the driver of the car at the time of the accident. After an investigation by State Police, that included DNA sampling by the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab, Castro was identified as the driver.

Melissa Matey, a spokeswoman with the State Police, said Castro was arrested after the results from the lab identified him as the driver and his toxicology report came back.

"He was over the legal limit for alcohol," Matey said.

Castro is being held at the Nelson Coleman Correctional Center on a $100,000 bond.