Montgomery jury struck in 2017 deadly speed-racing crash

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - This week a Montgomery jury will hear evidence surrounding a deadly crash that killed a young mother of two in 2017.

Ladarious Laffitte is charged with reckless murder. Investigators say he was speed-racing down Vaughn Road when he crashed into another car, killing Ashley Perkins.

Monday, Laffitte listened to the panel of forty potential jurors answer attorneys’ questions as they worked to eliminate anyone with connections to the case or potential bias.

The jury, eight women and six men, was struck after 4 p.m.

Police say Laffitte was driving more than 140 miles per hour seconds before his Dodge Challenger with a Scat Pack or larger engine collided with the 2007 Lexus ES 350 Perkins was riding in. Laffitte was driving down Vaughn Road toward the Taylor Road intersection prior to the crash. Investigators say the driver of the Lexus didn’t see Laffitte’s Challenger in oncoming traffic as it turned left off Vaughn Road into the Mapco service station; Laffitte reportedly hit the Lexus at such a high rate of speed it split the the victim’s car in half. Perkins, who was riding in the back seat, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Laffitte’s defense attorney, Wesley Pitters, disputes the Challenger’s black box findings and the reported speed prior to impact. He denies any wrongdoing on his client’s behalf.

The driver Laffitte was reportedly racing, Cory Romain, was also indicted for murder and two counts of first degree assault for Perkins’ death and injuries sustained by her parents who were sitting in the front of the car. Romain is scheduled to stand trial in October.

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