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A Louisiana State University student and her firefighter fiancé, high school sweethearts, were killed when a woman allegedly struck them with her vehicle as they walked along the side of a road on early Sunday morning.
The Baton Rouge Police Department identified the victims as 21-year old Leah Fonte and 21-year-old Shane Hirstius, who were engaged. Officers arrested Mia Dawson, 20, in relation to the incident on charges of operating while impaired, reckless operation of a vehicle, hit and run driving, vehicular homicide and vehicular negligent injuring.
Officials said Dawson veered off the road at around 2:40 a.m. Sunday and struck the two people who were walking on the right shoulder of the road.
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LSU student Leah Fonte, 21, and her fiancé, firefighter Shane Hirstius, 21, were killed after allegedly being struck by an impaired driver while walking along a road in Baton Rouge, La. (@leah._.fonte/Instagram)
Fonte died at the scene, while Hirstius was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
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Mia Dawson, 20, was arrested on charges including vehicular homicide, impaired driving and hit-and-run after allegedly striking and killing an engaged couple in Baton Rouge, La. (East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office)
In a Facebook post, the River Ridge volunteer fire department said “Shane was much more than a firefighter. He was a person with an enormous heart, an unforgettable smile, and a genuine passion for helping others.”
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Firefighter Shane Hirstius poses with his fiancée, LSU student Leah Fonte. The engaged couple, both 21, were killed after a driver allegedly struck them as they walked along the shoulder of a road. (Third District Volunteer Fire Department/Facebook)
“He gave 110% of himself to his responsibilities as a first responder, always willing to step forward when someone needed help. His dedication, compassion, and commitment to serving others represented the very best of what it means to be a firefighter,” the department said.
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High school sweethearts Leah Fonte and Shane Hirstius, both 21, were engaged before they were killed in an alleged DUI hit-and-run in Baton Rouge, La. (@leah._.fonte/Instagram)
Fonte was a senior at Louisiana State University studying biological sciences, according to a statement from the institution.
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Shane Hirstius, 21, served as a volunteer firefighter with the River Ridge Fire Department, which remembered him for his dedication, compassion and commitment to helping others following his death. (Third District Volunteer Fire Department)
“On behalf of the LSU System and all nine of the institutions that make up our LSU family, we send sincere condolences to the Fonte family as they learn of Leah’s passing,” said LSU president Wade Rousse. “We pray that God will comfort those she loved during this time of reflection and mourning.”