Covington Career Felon Guilty of Abandoning Vehicle on Interstate

Defendant left vehicle facing oncoming traffic in the dark, nearly causing subsequent crashes

District Attorney Collin Sims announced today that a St. Tammany Parish jury has found 43-year-old Christopher Henry Verzwyvelt of Covington, Louisiana, guilty of Aggravated Obstruction of a Highway of Commerce. Following the jury’s verdict, the Honorable Judge Tara Farris Zeller also found Verzwyvelt guilty of three misdemeanor charges: Reckless Operation of a Vehicle, Operating a Vehicle While License was Suspended, and Hit and Run Driving.

The case stems from an incident on June 15, 2025. Louisiana State Police were dispatched to a single-vehicle crash on I-10 Eastbound at the I-12 Westbound on-ramp. Upon arrival, the LSP Trooper discovered an abandoned vehicle that had struck a guardrail and was left sitting directly in the left travel lane, facing oncoming traffic. The stretch of highway was unlit, and the vehicle was positioned in a slight curve, making it nearly invisible to approaching motorists until they were dangerously close. An off-duty Slidell Police Department officer nearly hit the vehicle while passing by, then pulled over to investigate and notified LSP.

The LSP Trooper relocated to the address of the vehicle’s registered owner, Daniel Verzwyvelt. Daniel informed the trooper that his son, Christopher, had been driving, claimed he had a blowout, and left the scene with a friend. LSP noted there was no indication of a flat tire in the final crash report. Christopher Verzwyvelt was subsequently interviewed, arrested, and transported to jail.

Court records reveal that Verzwyvelt is a career felon with an extensive 25-year criminal history spanning St. Tammany, Washington, and Jefferson Parishes, marked by a continuous cycle of felony convictions, probation revocations, and state prison sentences dating back to 2000. His lengthy record includes multiple narcotics convictions for the possession of Schedules I, II, III, and IV controlled dangerous substances (including heroin, cocaine, methadone, and buprenorphine), operating a clandestine laboratory, simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling, theft of a firearm, taking contraband into a penal institution, and multiple prior offenses for DWI and driving under suspension.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Taylor Nicholson and Christina Fisher, with the investigation led by the Louisiana State Police.

During closing arguments, ADA Nicholson emphasized the defendant’s complete disregard for public safety.

"You heard on a jail call that he did not think leaving his car in the middle of the road was a big deal," Nicholson told the jury. "By him leaving that car in the road at 3 a.m., he endangered human life."

District Attorney Collin Sims commended the swift action of the Louisiana State Police and the Slidell Police Department, noting that their response likely prevented a catastrophic, secondary pileup on the interstate.

Judge Zeller has scheduled sentencing for June 12, 2026.