SLIDELL, La. (WVUE) - A Slidell man is behind bars after being accused of fatally striking a 6-year-old boy with his vehicle before fleeing the scene, according to the sheriff’s office.

Cody Beaudette, 35, was booked into the St. Tammany jail for vehicular homicide, reckless operation, felony hit-and-run, and operating a vehicle with a suspended licence.

“This is a horrific tragedy for our community,” Sheriff Smith said. “And it is a tragedy that could have been prevented by careful driving and the obeyance of traffic laws.”

The St. Tammany sheriff’s office says that deputies responded to the scene near Northshore Lane just before 6 p.m. on Wednesday (Aug. 13) after receiving reports of a child who had been struck by a vehicle.

Authorities say that the boy was riding on his scooter in

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