Rules for thee but not for me! Louisiana lawmaker who crashed into parked vehicle avoided sobriety test after town's police chief responded personally to her smash

  • The crash happened around midnight on November 12 and left both cars totaled 
  • Kayla Menard Reaux was on her way home from Chief Rickey Boudreaux's house
  • Reaux, 41, is the daughter of the town's former chief, and was never reprimanded

A councilwoman who crashed into a parked vehicle and left the scene late last year was never cited nor subject to a sobriety test - after she called the town's police chief shortly after being pulled over and he intervened.

The crash happened minutes before midnight on November 12, and reportedly came as Kayla Menard Reaux, a councilwoman in Louisiana, was on her way home from a visit with the aforementioned chief - who physically came to the scene after her call.

A lifelong resident of Youngsville - the city she currently serves - Reaux is also the daughter of the town's former police chief Earl Menard, who was replaced by current top cop Rickey Boudreaux in 2014. 

Previously unseen bodycam footage shows Reaux, 41, cracking jokes, letting off expletives and giving officers contradictory answers as they question her about the crash - which left both hers and another woman's cars undrivable.

That woman, Youngsville resident Sherri Guidry, said she was awoken to the sound of a deafening crash and blinding lights that night while sleeping on the guest bed of her friend's Sugar Mill Pond home. 

Scroll down for video: 

Previously unseen bodycam footage shows Youngsville Councilwoman Kayla Reaux, 41, cracking jokes, letting off expletives and giving officers contradictory answers as they question her about the crash - which left both hers and another woman's cars undrivable

Previously unseen bodycam footage shows Youngsville Councilwoman Kayla Reaux, 41, cracking jokes, letting off expletives and giving officers contradictory answers as they question her about the crash - which left both hers and another woman's cars undrivable

Reaux - a lifelong Youngsville resident and daughter of the town's former police chief -  was not administered a sobriety test nor was she ever cited, with footage now showing how cops seemingly let her off the hook after she made a call to the current chief

Reaux - a lifelong Youngsville resident and daughter of the town's former police chief -  was not administered a sobriety test nor was she ever cited, with footage now showing how cops seemingly let her off the hook after she made a call to the current chief

The crash left both hers and another woman's cars undrivable. She says she is still working to pay a $25,000 repair bill after no sobriety test was administered to the councilwoman

The crash left both hers and another woman's cars undrivable. She says she is still working to pay a $25,000 repair bill after no sobriety test was administered to the councilwoman

 She says she is still working to pay a $25,000 repair bill after no sobriety test was administered to the councilwoman and no citation was issued, despite footage now showing Boudreaux arriving at and surveying the scene after Reaux was pulled over.

'You been drinking?' the first responding officer ask Reaux in the recently surfaced clip, which was never released by the Youngsville police department but published.

'No. Yes. Possibly,' responds Reux, who explains she had just driven back from Alabama with her son who is considering attending college in Birmingham.

The officer, however, surveying the apparent damage wrought by the driver, appears less than convinced. 

'It's a yes or no question,' he responds flatly.

Reaux, cradling her face in her hands at a point but appearing somewhat undeterred, answers: 'No.'

The ensuing footage shows how the councilwoman remained uncooperative with officers - until chief Boudreaux eventually arrived a little over ten minutes later.

At that point, when an officer asked for her phone number to give a towing company, Reaux replies with a rendition of Tommy Tutone's 1981 song 867-5309/Jenny.

Footage shows how the councilwoman remained uncooperative with officers - until the town's police chief arrived a little over ten minutes later

Footage shows how the councilwoman remained uncooperative with officers - until the town's police chief arrived a little over ten minutes later

The town's police chief, Rickey Boudreaux (seen here), physically came to the scene after receiving a call from the councilwoman - and even joined in as Reuax joked with officers while remaining uncooperative

The town's police chief, Rickey Boudreaux (seen here), physically came to the scene after receiving a call from the councilwoman - and even joined in as Reuax joked with officers while remaining uncooperative

When asked how to spell her name, Reaux proceeded to mock the officer even further, after revealing she was the daughter of Mernard - as well as the only female councilwoman currently serving the city's board. She then brags about her luxury Lexus, which was left unable to drive

When asked how to spell her name, Reaux proceeded to mock the officer even further, after revealing she was the daughter of Mernard - as well as the only female councilwoman currently serving the city's board. She then brags about her luxury Lexus, which was left unable to drive

'Eight-six-seven-five-three-oh-nine,' she sings, insisting she is not drunk.

Bordeaux - who now maintains Reaux was not given special treatment - proceeds to sing the number, with Reaux joining in.

 'Eight-six-seven-five-three-oh-nine!' the duo jokes.

The unnamed officer sporting the bodycamera is not seen questioning the councilwoman's response, with him actually telling a towing staffer that her phone number was 337-867-5309.

When asked how to spell her name, Reaux proceeded to mock the officer even further, after revealing she was the daughter of Mernard - as well as the only female councilwoman currently serving the city's board.

'If you're from Louisiana and you don't know how to spell that, it's embarrassing,' she says condescendingly, before spelling her surname out. 'R-E-A-U-X. It's like geaux.'

Later, after fumbling for her car insurance card for nearly a half hour, an officer asks if the vehicle was insured - and Reux again replies with arrogance, pointing to the make of her luxury car.

'I mean, like, I have a f***ing Lexus. Do I have insurance?' she said with a laugh. 'Are you f***ing kidding me? Yes, I have insurance.'

Reaux - elected into office in 2021 - is the daughter of the town's former longtime police chief Earl Menard, who was replaced by current top cop Boudreaux in 2014. She was not charged

Reaux - elected into office in 2021 - is the daughter of the town's former longtime police chief Earl Menard, who was replaced by current top cop Boudreaux in 2014. She was not charged

Boudreaux, seen in uniform here, maintains that Reaux was not given special treatment because of her elected position or her familial relation to the former police chief

Boudreaux, seen in uniform here, maintains that Reaux was not given special treatment because of her elected position or her familial relation to the former police chief

When Reaux finally gets ahold of her credentials, she is heard curing at the officer. 'Here, a**hole' as says as she hands him the document.

Eventually, after more than a half hour, the councilwoman - who was elected into office during the pandemic in 2021 - is seen leaving the scene of the crash in Boudreaux vehicle. 

Prior to that, the footage shows Reaux repeatedly namedropping the chief, explaining how she had been at his home before losing control of her car.

She said that she spent 30 minutes at his home after dropping her son off at her home, and that she went to Boudreaux's house to pick up facial products from the police chief's female friend.

She insisted she stayed and visited Boudreaux's home for about 30 minutes - but did not consume anything that would affect her judgment. 

When a surprised Guidry emerged from her friend's home to find her car totaled, officer kept her away from Reaux, who declined to speak with her.

Speaking to the Advocate on Sunday - the day the bombshell bodycam footage was released - she said her 2016 GMC Yukon Denali is still being repaired and that Reaux was not held liable for any damages.

Since the video's publishing, The Youngsville Police Department and its police chief have maintained that Reaux was not given special treatment because of her elected position nor her familial relation to the former police chief - and has pointed to the fact the department has no written policy for conducting sobriety tests or issuing citations at the scene of crashes.

Boudreaux told the Advocate that he is 'not a big proponent of writing somebody a citation when it's clearly an accident,' and that 

'They're going to have enough to deal with getting the quotes for the car, talking to the insurance and all of that,' he explained. 'Our job is not to decide if someone is right or wrong in an accident.'

The top cop also addressed reports that Reaux offered gift cards to the officers who responded to the scene of the crash - insisting officers are allowed to accept gifts on the job.

'All that was was an apology,' Boudreaux said.

Reaux, meanwhile, has yet to report the crash to insurance, according to Guirdy - who says the congresswoman's inaction is delaying the repair process for her SUV.

When a surprised Sherri Guidry emerged from her friend's home to find her car totaled, officer kept her away from Reaux, who declined to speak with her. She says Reaux has yet to report the crash to insurance

When a surprised Sherri Guidry emerged from her friend's home to find her car totaled, officer kept her away from Reaux, who declined to speak with her. She says Reaux has yet to report the crash to insurance

'I'm sure she's a nice lady, but we all have to pay for our mistakes,' Guidry said. 'She's a city councilwoman. She should be following the same laws. 

'If I did that, there's no way in hell I'd walk away without being cited for that. That's failure to control your vehicle.'

Aside from the tokens of apology offered to officers, Reaux never publicly addressed the incident - until the Advocate's story broke on Sunday. 

At that point, she released a statement apologizing for the crash, saying she was committed to taking full responsibility for her behavior.

'As a daughter of a law enforcement officer and an aunt to a police officer, I offer a sincere apology for my conduct towards the police during the November 2022 automobile accident,' she wrote in a statement to KLFY News 10.

'I understand the significance of respecting law enforcement and regret any negative interaction that took place. I recognize that my actions were not in line with my usual conduct. 

'Furthermore, I have directly apologized to the first responders from the scene of the accident and express my gratitude for their service. As an elected official, I would never ask for special treatment, because I am not above the law. 

'I want to assure the community that I hold a great deal of respect for law enforcement and am fully committed to taking responsibility for my behavior and making amends with the police department and the community. 

'As from the day of the accident to date, I am still committed to working with all parties to resolve this is an efficient, swift, and professional manner.'

The comments below have not been moderated.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.