A Westwego woman who was set to stand trial later this month pleaded guilty to fatally striking a pedestrian on Jefferson Highway in Old Jefferson, running over the victim, and fleeing without offering help or alerting authorities.
Britney Holmes, 37, entered guilty pleas Tuesday to manslaughter and obstruction of justice, according to Jefferson Parish court records.
Prosecutors said Holmes killed 37-year-old Sue Ellen Cechman, of Metairie, in a crash captured by a nearby business’s surveillance camera.
State Police investigators reported that Holmes was on the phone with a friend when she hit Cechman and remarked, “These motherf—ers are trying to die out here,” referring to people she saw in the roadway just before the fatal collision.
Left for Dead
Holmes was driving home from her security guard job in Metairie on the night of Aug. 15, 2024, when the hit-and-run occurred.
Cechman was walking alongside the westbound lanes of Jefferson Highway and tried to cross near the Claiborne Court intersection, according to State Police. She made it across two of the three westbound lanes before a black Nissan Sentra struck her just before she reached the median.
Surveillance footage shows Cechman being thrown onto the car’s windshield and hood before landing in front of the vehicle. The driver slowed briefly but didn’t get out.
Instead, Holmes drove forward, rolling over Cechman and dragging her body before leaving the scene, State Police said.
Cechman was taken to a hospital, where she died from her injuries.
Quick Cover-Up
State Police said Holmes never called authorities about the crash or the injured woman. Instead, investigators discovered she began searching online for windshield and hood repairs, as well as news about a fatal hit-and-run on Jefferson Highway.
As Holmes tried to hide her involvement, State Police worked to identify the Sentra’s driver. They found the car registered to Holmes and located it at her home six days later.
By then, she had replaced the shattered windshield and repaired dents, though shards of glass still sat in her dashboard vents, police said.
Investigators interviewed technicians from the West Bank glass company Holmes contacted the day after the crash. She left a voicemail requesting immediate service. One technician told a manager the damage looked like she had “hit something or someone,” Trooper Timothy Clark testified during a 2024 bond hearing.
Holmes was arrested on Aug. 24, 2024, and charged.
In Louisiana, manslaughter carries up to 40 years in prison, while obstruction of justice can mean up to 20 years.
Holmes is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 19.
Leave a Reply