A Cheneyville man pleaded not guilty Thursday to a vehicular homicide charge resulting from a June crash that killed a former Rapides Parish School Board member.
Donald Ray Jones Sr., 68, was arraigned on the felony charge before 9th Judicial District Court Judge Patricia Koch.
On June 29, Jones was driving a 2015 Chevrolet pickup truck when he crossed the center line on La. Highway 3170 — the road that connects La. Highway 1 and U.S. Highway 167 near Louisiana State University of Alexandria — and hit a 2023 Hyundai sports-utility vehicle driven by Oddis “Bucky” Dunbar, 69, according to Louisiana State Police. Dunbar died at the scene.
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Jones suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital. He was booked into the Rapides Parish Detention Center on a charge of vehicular homicide on July 31 and has been in jail since with bail set at $100,000.
He has filed a motion to reduce that bail, but the hearing was continued until Oct. 9. A pretrial conference also was set for that day, according to online Rapides Parish Clerk of Court records.
A former music teacher and administrator, Dunbar was elected to the Rapides Parish School Board in 1993. He served two terms.
This article originally appeared on Alexandria Town Talk: Man pleads not guilty to vehicular homicide charge in Bucky Dunbar crash
