Mudders may lose trucks in their ruts

A Eunice area Parish Council member wants to discourage mud riders from tearing up public roads by allowing their trucks to be seized.
Timmy Lejeune, District 11 councilman, said, mud riders are leaving ruts 3-feet deep in some parish roads.
In a 7-3 vote the Parish Council directed Chad Pitre, board attorney, to look into harsher penalties for damaging parish roads including seizing vehicles.
Lejeune said current law imposes fines and violators may be required to pay for road repairs.
“We need to put the fear of the law back in people’s mind,” Lejeune said.
“I’m not saying you run around taking people’s vehicles,” Lejeune said. “I do think we need to put up a fear in the parents ... that they could lose their vehicle by doing such a thing.”
Pitre said certain drug violations allow vehicle seizures, but they must be decided by a judge.
Lejeune said parents of youths using their vehicles would take notice if the penalty was raised to allow seizing a truck.
Lejeune said, “I’m not talking about just riding down the road ... we have plenty of parish roads that have zero gravel. So,
passing down you almost need a four-wheel drive. I’m talking about 36-inch ruts in the middle of the road deliberately put there and nothing is being done about it. We would put that fear of them losing a $40,000 four-wheel drive truck over a 3-foot rut.”
Lejeune said the mud-riding problem has been going on for quite some time and it is serious situation.
Voting to have Pitre amend the ordinance pertaining to damage of public roads to include the forfeiture of personal property when destroying roads were Ronald Buschel, Hurlin Dupre, Alvin Stelly, Pam Gautreau, Wayne Ardoin, Timmy Lejeune and Jimmie Edwards.
Voting against the measure were Jerry Red, Huet Dupre and Dexter Brown.
Fekisha Miller-Matthews and Gary Courville were absent.