re: This person allegedly killed a 17 year old hours after graduation

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A Lafourche Parish family will be going to a teenager's funeral Wednesday, exactly one week after his high school graduation.

And the family has two messages to pass on, about impaired driving and being an organ donor.

It was supposed to be one of the happiest days of their lives. Tyler Dufrene, 17, of Gheens, had just graduated Wednesday night from Central Lafourche High. Hours later a phone call changed everything.

"We're just going to take it one day at a time," said Tyler's sister Rebecca Yates about how the family is dealing with the loss of her younger brother.

It happened on a section of La. 1, State Police say a pickup traveling north that had just crossed the Valentine Bridge, crossed over the centerline and crashed into Tyler's SUV head on.

Tyler's sister said she talked to Michael Costello, 20, of Golden Meadow, on the phone Sunday. State Police say he was the driver of the pickup. She said he told her he had had some beers and was checking Facebook.

"He said that he prayed for my brother and that he was actually on his phone when the accident happened. He said he was sorry, and if he could he would trade places with my brother," Yates said through tears.

The head-on collision happened in front of a Lockport man's home.

"Almost standing right where I am now, I could see the Jeep and I could see the young man pinned inside, which for me was really something difficult to look at," said Elrick Nelson, who heard the crash around 10:45 p.m.

He works in drug court to get drivers under the influence to stop drinking or drugging and driving.

"We don't really get people until they are on their third or fourth DWI, which is, they're pretty much at the point where they could have killed someone by that time. That's basically what I'm in the business of trying to prevent," Nelson said. "And part of me is actually angry because the thing that I always tell clients in our program is, if you choose to drink, that's your business. But if you choose to get behind the wheel, it becomes the business of every person you pass by on that highway."

Tyler had signed an organ donation card, and now others will have a second chance on life. Family members said his organs are expected to help about 30 people. His sisters want to meet the recipients and feel his beating heart again.

"My brother's a hero. He saved seven people's lives," said another older sister, Hilary Yates.

She wants others to change their behavior so another life is not lost.

"I want them to really think about the consequences, and it's not even just teens, it's everybody who gets behind that wheel and drink and drive. You never know. Life is precious. It's very precious," Hilary said.

"We want everyone to just not drink and drive not have any distraction -- Facebook, texting while you're driving," Rebecca said. "We just hoping everyone opens their eyes because an innocent life was taken."

An innocent life that was loved at Central Lafourche High School.

"He just was always precious, just never, never, never disrespectful or anything like that," said assistant principal Valencia Pierre.

Costello was charged with DWI and negligent injury before Tyler died in the hospital Saturday.
If his charges are upgraded to vehicular homicide — which applies in fatal crashes in which a drunken driver is determined at fault — Costello would face five to 30 years in prison if convicted.

State Police say Costello did not mention being on the phone right after the crash in the initial interview. Police said they should have toxicology reports later this week for the Lafourche Parish District Attorney's Office.

Dufrene's visitation is scheduled for 4-9 p.m. today and from 9 a.m. until funeral time Wednesday at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Gheens. A Mass starts at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the church, with burial in the church cemetery.

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