Man with nine DWI offenses arrested again, charged with hit-and-run

BATON ROUGE - Following a crash Sunday night, Baton Rouge police have arrested a man with multiple prior DWI offenses.

Around 7:30 p.m., authorities were called to a hit-and-run on S. Acadian Thruway near I-10.

The driver, later identified as Thomas Deaton, was driving in a "reckless manner" and crashed into another car. Deaton fled the scene before police arrived.

Deaton was later found driving in the 6000 block of Bluebonnet Boulevard. According to the police report, Deaton smelled of alcohol, had poor balance, and he slurred his speech.

Police say he also resisted arrest, kicking officers that tried to place him in handcuffs.

Records show Deaton had nine previous DWI arrests. He served several years in jail for some of those arrests.

For this latest incident, Deaton is facing several charges including DWI, reckless operation of a vehicle, resisting an officer, battery of a police officer, and hit-and-run driving.

A photo of Deaton wasn't immediately provided.