Police: Good Samaritan killed after getting struck by car

State police believe that driver fatigue caused a three-car accident that led to the death of two people on Interstate 310 near Highway 3127 on Saturday morning.

The ordeal began when Mario Funez, 65, of Metairie, stopped his Nissan Xterra to help the occupants of a Nissan Altima that had its hazard lights on due to mechanical problems.

Jeremy Gullage, 20, of Boutte, was traveling south on I-310 when he drifted onto the right shoulder and hit the Altima in the rear, pushing it off the road, police said. Gullage’s car then struck Funez and sideswiped the Xterra, according to the police report.

Funez was killed after getting run over and Sandra Gonzalez, 59, of New Orleans, was seated in the rear left seat of the Altima and died as a result of the collision.

Besides Gonzales, Margarita Infante, 64, of Jefferson, and Haydee Pineda, 59, of Harahan, were also in the Altima. The car’s driver, Reinerio Infante, 71, of Jefferson, and the other two women were transported to LSU Interim Public Hospital Level 1 Trauma Center with minor injuries, police said.

A 41-year-old woman and two children, ages 4 and 7, were unharmed as they sat in the Xterra, police said. The children were seated in child safety seats.

Gullage and his passenger, Jamaal Williams, 21, of Boutte, were transported to East Jefferson General Hospital with minor injuries.

Police said they did not suspect speed or impairment to be factors in the crash, but Gullage and Infante did submit to blood toxicology tests.