La. troopers ‘aware’ of boating crash investigation involving employee

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - A Louisiana State Police (LSP) spokesman says an employee remains on active duty, despite that employee’s involvement in an ongoing boating crash investigation.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) has, so far, charged Bryan A. Nolan with first degree vehicular negligent injury and careless operation of a vessel.

Nolan was booked on those charges on July 13. He was previously arrested on July 2 and charged with alleged operating or driving a vessel while impaired (DWI) and hit and run involving a vessel, officials said.

LSP officials would not identify their employee or disclose how that person is connected to Nolan’s arrest. However, a source told WAFB that a state trooper was a passenger on the boat.

Wildlife enforcement agents said they were told about two boats colliding on Bayou Magazine around 9 p.m. July 2.

Agents identified Nolan as the driver of one of the boats, and learned he left the scene with a passenger before authorities arrived, officials said.

Assumption Parish sheriff’s deputies later stopped Nolan along Highway 401 near the Attakapas Boat Landing.

An LDWF spokesperson said the first degree vehicular negligent injury carries up to a $2,000 fine and five years in jail, and the careless operation of a vessel carries up to a $300 fine and up to 30 days in jail. Meanwhile, the DWI carries a $300 to $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail, while the hit and run with a vessel charges carries up to a $500 fine and 10 days to six months in jail.

Click here to report a typo.