Louisiana man guilty in fatal DUI crash in South MS. ‘It was my best friend.’
A Louisiana man has taken responsibility for his best friend’s death in a drunk driving crash after the two spent an evening at a Biloxi casino.
Bradley Paul Broussard, 37, of Opelousas, made the admission when he pleaded guilty in April to felony DUI causing the May 27, 2023, death of Jeconiah “Jay” Hayes Conway Sr., 34, of Crowley, Louisiana, a husband and father of five.
Broussard entered the plea April 13 before Circuit Judge Randi Mueller.
“It was my best friend, and we didn’t intend for our night to end that way,” Broussard said.
Harrison County Assistant District Attorney Billy Stage prosecuted the case.
Conway was a passenger in Broussard’s truck when it crashed into a utility pole at the intersection of U.S. 90 and Veterans Avenue in the early morning hours.
Conway died at the scene.
At the time of the crash, Broussard had a blood alcohol content of 0.197%, more than twice the state’s legal limit of 0.08%.
After entering the plea, Mueller sentenced Broussard to 25 years in prison, but suspended all but eight years for him to serve, followed by five years of reporting post-release supervision.
In addition, the judge fined him $2,000 and prohibited him from using drugs or alcohol or going to casinos or other gaming sites unless for work purposes.
Biloxi police investigated the case.
