By LEONARD GRAY

LAPLACE – Prosecution of the driver who struck and killed St. John the Baptist Parish code enforcement officer moved recently to the Louisiana Attorney General’s office. This was done, according to 40th Judicial District Attorney John Crum, as a matter of procedure in the interests of justice.

Edmond “Skipper” Songy died on July 9 while diverting traffic on Interstate 10 away from another fatality accident ahead of his position near the Belle Terre Boulevard interchange. The district attorney’s office recused itself, as in the case of a crime against any law enforcement person, to preserve the defendant’s right to a fair trial, Crum said.

Harry Morel Jr., district attorney in St. Charles Parish, was approached about handling the prosecution, but Morel, when contacted, said he had not yet decided to accept the case.

At the time of the accident, Songy, 60, of Greenwood Drive, LaPlace, was wearing a reflective vest over his uniform, and stood with his marked police unit, with flashing lights. All this was in keeping with established and correct procedure, according to Chief Criminal Deputy Harold Klibert of the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office.

However, a 1997 Chevrolet Suburban struck and killed Songy.

The driver of the Suburban, Stewart Juneau, 55, of New Orleans was immediately arrested and cited with careless operation of a motor vehicle and failure to obey directions of a police officer.

Investigators subpoened cellular phone records to attempt to prove Juneau was using his telephone at the time and may have been distracted.