Procession Planned for Jefferson Parish Couple Killed in Baton Rouge Crash
A procession honoring Shane Hirstius, 27, and Leah Fonte, 24, will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 10:30 a.m., in Metairie.
The procession will start at West Napoleon Avenue and proceed to the Garden of Memories Funeral Home and Cemetery on Airline Drive. Kenner Fire Department is advising of a temporary traffic closure on southbound Williams Boulevard from I-10 to West Napoleon during this time.
Hirstius and Fonte were fatally struck by a vehicle while walking on the shoulder of Nicholson Drive near LSU's campus early Sunday morning. Authorities reported that Mia Camille Dawson, 20, has been arrested in connection with the crash, facing multiple charges, including vehicular homicide and operating while impaired.
Fonte was a senior majoring in biological sciences at Louisiana State University, where she served as fundraising chair for LSU Global Dental Brigades. Hirstius, a graduate of Rummel High School, was a firefighter and operator with the Third District Volunteer Fire Department and played baseball at Delgado Community College.
Hirstius and Fonte were engaged and planned to marry in March 2028. The couple grew up in Jefferson Parish, and the community is invited to participate in the procession to honor their lives.