An aspiring dentist and Louisiana State University (LSU) student and her fiancé were struck and killed by a car on October 18 that veered off a roadway into a student neighborhood area near LSU, according to multiple news stories.
Leah Fonte, 21, died at the scene, and Shane Hirstius, 21, a firefighter, died at the hospital, according to the stories.
Mia Dawson, 20, who reportedly was driving the car that struck the couple, was arrested and charged with multiple offenses, including operating a vehicle while intoxicated, vehicular homicide, vehicular negligent injuring, reckless operation of a vehicle, and hit and run resulting in serious bodily injury or death. The prosecution plans to upgrade the vehicular negligent injuring charge to another count of vehicular homicide, according to the stories.
Bond was set at $229,000 for Dawson, a Southern University student. As of October 19, Dawson was being held in jail.
On October 18, Dawson allegedly was driving when her car veered off the road and struck Fonte and Hirstius. Then Dawson reportedly drove away from the scene and parked the car in a convenience store parking lot.
Dawson allegedly contacted police about being involved in the accident but did not provide an accurate account of the crash, according to the stories.
Fonte was studying biological sciences and looked forward to becoming a dentist. In May, she traveled to Panama to help provide dental treatment to more than 300 patients. Hirstius was attending Delgado Community College in New Orleans.
In August 2025, the couple was engaged. They planned to marry in 2028.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
