Driver Identified, Arrested in January Hit-and-Run that Killed Bicyclist in St. Landry Parish

Louisiana State Police have arrested 34-year-old Ryan Scott Soileau of Washington in connection with a fatal hit-and-run crash that occurred in January 2024, resulting in the death of a bicyclist in St. Landry Parish.

The arrest occurred on February 28, 2024, when Troopers took Soileau into custody at Troop I under a felony arrest warrant. He was subsequently transported and booked into the St. Landry Parish Jail. The charges against Soileau include negligent homicide and hit and run.

The incident in question took place shortly after 8:30 p.m. on January 26, 2024, on Louisiana Highway 103 near Alex Stoute Road, north of Port Barre. The victim, identified as 54-year-old Daniel Craig Leger of Port Barre, was struck from behind by an unknown vehicle while traveling north along the highway near the fog line. The collision ejected Leger from his bicycle, and despite being equipped with safety features such as a red flashing LED light, he succumbed to his injuries after being transported to a local hospital.

The identity of the driver involved in the hit-and-run was unknown until the recent arrest of Soileau. State Police have not disclosed how they were able to identify Soileau as the suspect in this case. At the time of the crash, it was unclear whether impairment was a factor, and a standard toxicology sample was submitted for analysis.

If any new information from Louisiana State Police becomes available we will update this story accordingly.