New Orleans police arrested Destiny Goodman in September 2026 in connection with an Easter Sunday 2022 crash that killed Joseph Clark, 58, and Senetta Hodges, 62, and injured three other people.
NOPD reported that officers stopped Goodman during a traffic enforcement operation and discovered outstanding warrants. Police said she had previously been identified as the owner of the Chevrolet Suburban involved in the 2022 collision and allegedly admitted that she had been driving.
Goodman was arrested on two manslaughter counts. Those charges are allegations, and she is presumed innocent unless proved guilty.
Police Said the Suburban Was Traveling the Wrong Way
The crash occurred shortly after 7 p.m. on April 17, 2022, at North Miro and Pauger streets. NOPD said a tan Suburban traveled the wrong way on Pauger Street and struck a Honda Accord. Three other vehicles were then hit, and one vehicle was pushed onto the sidewalk into pedestrians.
Clark died at the scene. Hodges was taken to a hospital and later died. Three other injured people survived.
Contemporaneous WWL reporting said the Suburban overturned and its occupants fled on foot. The early report listed one death because Hodges had not yet died.
A Routine Traffic Stop Led Police Back to the Old Case
NOPD said officers stopped Goodman on Sage Street on September 1, 2026, for allegedly traveling the wrong way. An officer recognized her name from the unresolved fatal crash and contacted the Traffic Fatality Unit.
Police said Goodman had been identified as the Suburban’s owner and as a person of interest. A 2023 NOPD notice had said she was not then wanted but might have important information.
FOX 8 reported that online records also listed four hit-and-run charges involving death or serious injury. The current court record controls the exact charges.
An alleged admission must still be evaluated for admissibility and weight. The arrest does not establish guilt or civil liability.
A 2026 Arrest Does Not Automatically Reopen a 2022 Civil Claim
The crash occurred under the Louisiana law in effect in 2022. Later changes to comparative fault and filing periods should not be applied automatically.
Whether any civil claim remains available depends on what was filed, settled, dismissed or interrupted years ago. The new arrest does not itself create a new filing period or revive a prescribed claim.
Insurance also requires a historical review. An arrest now does not prove that the Suburban had valid or adequate liability coverage in 2022. Uninsured-motorist policies held by the injured people or their households may have been relevant, depending on the policy language and claims history.
Start With the Existing File, Not a New Theory
Anyone directly affected should collect prior police reports, insurance correspondence, settlement documents, releases, lawsuits, dismissal orders and records from former counsel. Those documents will show what rights were preserved and what may already have been resolved.
The new criminal docket may add statements, charging instruments and hearing transcripts, but those records should be read alongside the original crash evidence.
For help reviewing old claim records and the possible effect of a delayed arrest, contact Babcock Injury Lawyers.
Sources
- NOPD: Arrest in 2022 double-fatal crash investigation
- FOX 8: Woman arrested in 2022 Seventh Ward crash
- WWL: Original 2022 crash report
- NOPD: 2023 person-of-interest notice
Editorial & Legal Accuracy Notice (Louisiana)
This article is based on the linked NOPD and local reports. Goodman’s arrest, reported statement and charges are allegations. The sources reviewed did not provide the full criminal file or establish the status of any prior civil or insurance claim. This article is general information, not advice about a particular claim.