Livingston Man Arrested in Death of Phillip Abington Was Allegedly Going 90

James Watts III, 31, Held on Charge of Vehicular Homicide

CENTRAL — More than two months after the death of Phillip Abington, 16, in a Sept. 9 accident on Greenwell Springs, the other party involved in the crash has been arrested a second time.

James Watts III, 31, of Denham Springs was booked into Parish Prison on one count of vehicular homicide, according to State Trooper Russell Graham.

According to Graham, Watts had a blood alcohol level of .09.  He said troopers did not initially believe alcohol was a factor in the crash, but an analysis by the State Crime Lab provided the alcohol content of Watts’ blood.

On Sept. 11, Watts was charged with reckless operation and not wearing a seat belt.

Graham said an analysis of the scene indicated that Watts was traveling at over 90 miles an hour.

The conclusions on Watts’ speed were reportedly drawn from a computer analysis of the crash and skidmarks at the scene.

Phillip Abington was a popular student at Bethany Christian School.  The family lives in Central.  Phillip was on his way to a Little Theatre production at the time of the accident.

Abington’s death is one in a long series of traffic accidents in Central in which narrow, two-lane roads with no shoulders, steep dropoffs, and deep ditches play a role.