Tragic Loss: Grandparents of Bourbon Street Victim Killed by Suspected Impaired Driver in Gretna

GRETNA, La. (WVUE) – Tragically, the grandparents of a man who lost his life in the Bourbon Street terror attack succumbed to injuries, and three additional individuals were hurt after being hit by an alleged drunk driver on Saturday night, February 15, according to family members and authorities from the Gretna Police Department.

The deceased victims were identified as 76-year-old Hubert Gauthreaux and his wife of 55 years, 73-year-old Victoria Gauthreaux. Their daughter, Vanessa Gauthreaux LeBlanc, shared this heartbreaking news with Fox 8.

Hubert and Victoria were the grandparents of 21-year-old Hubert Gauthreaux III, who was named after his grandfather. He was a graduate of Archbishop Shaw High School and was killed on January 1 in a tragic truck-ramming event in the French Quarter, which was carried out by domestic terrorist Shamsud Din-Jabbar.

Hubert Gauthreaux III, 21, is among those killed in the Bourbon Street terror attack.(Archbishop Shaw)

According to Gretna Police, 33-year-old Stephan Juarez has been charged with two counts of vehicular homicide, second offense driving while impaired, reckless operation of a vehicle, as well as possession of marijuana, driving with a suspended license, and driving without a seat belt.

Stephan Juarez, 33, was booked Saturday (Feb. 15) with two counts of vehicular homicide and... — Stephan Juarez, 33, faces serious charges including two counts of vehicular homicide after allegedly crashing while impaired and colliding with multiple vehicles, resulting in the tragic deaths of Hubert and Victoria Gauthreaux, along with injuries to others.(Gretna Police Department)

Officials reported that Juarez was driving a 2015 GMC truck at high speed in the 700 block of Fourth Street around 6:40 p.m. when he crossed over into oncoming traffic, colliding with a westbound 2011 GMC Yukon. This crash caused minor injuries to three occupants of the Yukon.

Juarez continued down Fourth Street, hitting an unoccupied parked 2022 Honda Pilot before ultimately crashing head-on into a parked 2020 Volvo XC90.

Victoria Gauthreaux, who was in the rear seat of the Volvo, sustained severe injuries, while her husband Hubert, who had exited the vehicle, was also struck by Juarez’s truck, sustaining critical injuries.

Both Hubert and Victoria were swiftly transported to the University Medical Center’s trauma center, where they sadly passed away due to their injuries, as confirmed by the Gretna Police.

Juarez received treatment for minor injuries at Ochsner Hospital Westbank before being taken into custody and booked at the Jefferson Parish jail.

A mangled wrought iron fence marks the scene where allegedly impaired driver Stephan Juarez... — A damaged wrought iron fence indicates the site where the alleged impaired driver Stephan Juarez crashed into a vehicle on February 15 in Gretna, resulting in the fatalities of Hubert and Victoria Gauthreaux.(WVUE-Fox 8)

A nurse who witnessed the devastating crash, requesting to remain anonymous, described the scene to Fox 8 as “carnage.”

“It was chaotic,” she recounted. “Blood was everywhere. A pickup truck had smashed through a parking lot fence, and a Volvo SUV was wrecked. He was speeding down Fourth Street, and the impact was deafening—it created debris all around. It was a horrific sight to arrive at.”

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