DWI suspect – A 40-year-old Louisiana man accused of driving while intoxicated fled troopers during a stop near New Orleans, jumped into a swamp, and was later attacked by an alligator while trying to escape a second time. Authorities say he was hospitalized for injuries to
By the time the search lights swept across the marsh, the pursuit had already jumped off the highway and into something wilder.
The chase started Sunday. June 7. in Jefferson Parish near New Orleans. after Louisiana State Police received reports of a reckless driver who had crashed into a barrier on Interstate 10. Troopers later found the damaged vehicle traveling south on Interstate 310 in neighboring St. Charles Parish and initiated a traffic stop.
During a roadside DWI investigation, the driver—identified as 40-year-old Victor Rivas—showed signs of impairment, authorities said. Before officers could finish the investigation. Rivas allegedly fled on foot and jumped from the elevated portion of Interstate 310 into the swamp below. The search that followed involved Louisiana State Police and deputies from the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Officers later spotted Rivas walking along U.S. Highway 61. When law enforcement approached him, he allegedly ran away a second time and entered another swampy area.
It was there that state police said Rivas was attacked by an alligator and suffered injuries to both arms. The sheriff’s office released body camera footage showing a 30-second clip of Rivas tussling with the alligator.
Even after being injured, authorities said Rivas kept trying to evade capture. Troopers and sheriff’s deputies ultimately located and apprehended him with help from drone technology. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment, and the sheriff’s office said his injuries were not life-threatening.
Rivas was charged with driving while intoxicated and resisting arrest. State police also have warrants for his arrest for hit-and-run and careless operation related to the Jefferson Parish crash. He has been booked into the Nelson Coleman Correctional Center.
The body-camera clip, the drone-assisted search, and the sheer length of the pursuit have left one question hanging over the case: how a routine roadside DWI stop turned into hours of danger in the swamp—before it even reached a final arrest.
Victor Rivas DWI alligator attack Louisiana State Police Jefferson Parish St. Charles Parish Interstate 10 Interstate 310 U.S. Highway 61 Nelson Coleman Correctional Center drone technology resisting arrest hit-and-run careless operation