The Slidell Police Department reports the arrest of 37-year-old Derreck Gahagan of Covington, following a collision that left a 63-year-old bicyclist critically injured.
Shortly before 6:00 p.m. on Sunday (February 8, 2026), Slidell Police responded to reports of a large box truck striking a male bicyclist in the 1600 block of Highway 190 West. Upon arrival, officers located the victim suffering from critical injuries. The victim was stabilized at the scene and airlifted to a New Orleans-area hospital for further treatment.
Investigators determined the victim was traveling westbound on Highway 190 West when he began experiencing issues with his bicycle chain. The victim pulled off the roadway to make the repairs to his bicycle, when a westbound box truck, for reasons still under investigation, left the roadway and struck him.
During the investigation, the driver displayed signs of impairment. Investigators conducted Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFSTs) on the driver and determined there was sufficient probable cause and evidence to support that the driver was impaired at the time of the collision. As part of standard procedure with accidents involving serious or fatal injuries, blood samples were also collected for a toxicology analysis from both the driver and the victim. The toxicology report is pending.
Gahagan was identified as the driver of the box truck and was subsequently placed under arrest and booked into the Slidell City Jail on the charges of 1st Degree Vehicular Negligent Injuring, Driving While Impaired - 4th Offense, Reckless Operation of a Motor Vehicle, Driving Under Suspension, and Switched License Plate.
This investigation remains ongoing.
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