LSP trooper resigns amid investigation into handling of DUI crash involving former officer

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FRANKLINTON, La. (WVUE) - A Louisiana State Police trooper has resigned in the midst of an internal investigation into his handling of a crash over the Easter weekend.

Officials say State Trooper Brett Dupree is no longer employed with LSP, months after working a drunken crash involving now-fired Franklinton police officer Leonard Holloway.

Dupree’s original report said nothing about the presence of alcohol and claimed 23-year-old Seth Klaare was at fault.

Klaare was seriously injured in the crash and taken to the ICU, and Dupree’s report prompted his father to search for surveillance video to clear his son’s name. The footage led LSP to change its initial report, revealing that Holloway was the one who crossed the center line and collided with Klaare’s truck.

“Once I saw the video, I knew that the conclusion from the initial police report was not correct,” Joost Klaare said.

LSP’s second report referenced glass and aluminum cans scattered around the vehicle, including a Miller Light box and a wine bottle. The follow-up report also referenced a sour smell in Holloway’s truck and two tumbler cups on the floorboard. Nine days after the accident, state police carried out a search warrant to obtain Holloway’s medical records, which showed the officer’s blood alcohol content at 0.094% at the time of the crash.

Klaare’s family says they are pursuing federal lawsuits as their loved one continues his recovery.

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