LSU looses greek member

[LSUTriDelta4]

Accident kills University student, critically injures another
Memorial service to be held Monday
Jeff Jeffrey
Staff Writer

April 16, 2005

One University student was killed and another was left in critical condition early Saturday morning after they were struck by a vehicle at the corner of Nicholson and East Boyd Drives.

Cpl. Ljean McKneely, a spokesperson for the Baton Rouge Police Department, said 20-year-old Dustin Clemons, a mass communication sophomore, died at the scene of the accident as a result of injuries he sustained from the vehicle's impact.

Patrick Boutte, a philosophy freshman, was rushed to Our Lady of the Lake Hospital. He suffered two broken legs and one broken rib from the accident and remains in critical condition.

Kevin Brown, a close friend of Clemons and Boutte, said he received a
different report on Boutte's condition from doctors at Our Lady of the Lake
Hospital.

Brown said while Boutte suffered no broken bones, he did sustain torn
ligaments in his left knee and damage to the muscle tissue in his right leg.

Brown also said Boutte also had minor damage to his brain, but that Boutte's
doctors remain optimistic about his recovery.

McKneely said the accident occurred at approximately 2:15 a.m. when Clemons, Boutte and about five of their friends crossed Nicholson after leaving the Tigerland area.

McKneely said the driver of the vehicle was not given a ticket or charged for the accident because the investigating officer determined the driver had the right of way.

The investigating officer also found that the driver was not under the influence of alcohol or speeding at the time of the accident.

Because there is no crosswalk at the intersection, McKneely said, pedestrians should yield to oncoming traffic.

McKneely said the driver's name could not be released because he was not charged in the accident.

A memorial service for Clemons will be held at 7 p.m. Monday at Rabenhorst Funeral Home in Baton Rouge, located at 11000 Florida Blvd.

Visitation will take place at Rabenhorst Funeral Home from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday and again on Monday from 2 p.m. until 7 p.m. when the memorial










I unfortunatly at the scene of the accident right after it happened... It made my stomach drop to see the two young men laying on the street so helpless. My prayers are with the friends and family of the victims.

[LSUTriDelta4]

University student dies in weekend accident
Friends, family remember Clemons
By Jeff Jeffrey
Staff Writer

April 18, 2005

One day after Dustin Clemons was struck and killed by a car as he crossed Nicholson Drive, friends and family members gathered to celebrate the life of the University student who they said was “small in stature, but big on life.”

Clemons, a 20-year-old mass communication sophomore, was killed, and Patrick Boutte, a philosophy freshman, was left in critical condition after the two were hit by a vehicle early Saturday morning at the corner of Nicholson and E. Boyd Drives.

Cpl. Ljean McKneely, a spokesperson for the Baton Rouge Police Department, said Clemons died at the scene of the accident as a result of injuries he sustained from the vehicle’s impact. The accident occurred at about 2:15 a.m. Saturday.

Boutte was rushed to Our Lady of the Lake Hospital. McKneely said Boutte suffered two broken legs and one broken rib from the accident and remains in critical condition.

Kevin Brown, a close friend of Clemons and Boutte and a political science sophomore, said doctors at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital gave him a different report on Boutte’s condition. He said Boutte suffered no broken bones, but tore ligaments in his left knee and damaged muscle tissue in his right leg.

Brown also said Boutte had minor brain damage, but Boutte’s doctors remain optimistic about his recovery.

While Boutte’s friends and family wait for his recovery, Brown said they will also begin remembering Clemons as a person who “had a passion for everything he did.”

A native of Leesville — about 50 miles southwest of Alexandria — Clemons, a former Student Government senator, was known known for having hundreds of “facebook friends.”

On the day he died, he had 990 University students listed as friends on the Web site.

At a visitation service to honor Clemons on Sunday at Rabenhorst Funeral home in Baton Rouge, his mother, Tracy Leigh Clemons, said she was overwhelmed to see so many of her son’s friends come to give their condolences. Dozens attended to show their support.

“This is a beautiful tribute to a beautiful person,” she said.

A teary-eyed Tracy Leigh Clemons said a friend told her that her son, who stood about 5 feet 7 inches tall, was “small in stature but big on life.”

Clemons, whom friends called “DC,” served as vice president of the newly recolonized chapter of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. Brown, the chapter’s president, said Clemons was a “driving force within the fraternity.”

“When we started the fraternity, we wanted to make a chapter in which everyone was an individual,” Brown said. “DC was exactly that. He was unique.”

Brown said that while Clemons was known for arriving late to fraternity meetings and events, he always kept his fraternity brothers on track.

“He was always the go-to funny guy with a pun for an answer,” Brown said. “But he took the fraternity very seriously. He always made sure everyone was on the same page.”

Victor Felts, assistant dean of Greek Affairs, said Clemons was a true leader, and the entire Greek community would be affected by their loss.

“I have been working closely with [Clemons] for the past year because he was one of the students that came to me about restarting Phi Delta Theta on campus,” Felts said. “Through his efforts, the chapter attained colony status in one of the fastest periods of time in LSU’s history.”

Felts said Clemons led “by example.”

“Clemons was the type of person who was willing to do the work no one else wanted to do in order to improve his fraternity,” Felts said.

Harvey Werner, Clemons’ life-long friend and a public relations sophomore, said he would not have joined Phi Delta Theta — or any fraternity — if not for Clemons.

“When I came to school here, I was skeptical of the Greek system,” Werner said. “I decided to join because I was amazed at how much he did on campus. He was always willing to sacrifice himself to get things done.”

But to Chaz Caiado, Clemons’ close friend and a general studies sophomore, he will be remembered for “the goofy things he did.”

“He was one of the best air guitarists that I knew,” Caiado said.

Reba Clemons said her cousin managed to have an influence on everyone he met.

“He didn’t have to do much to make you laugh,” she said. “It was just how he was.”

Tracy Leigh Clemons said one of her favorite memories of her only child is of the two of them singing together in the car.

“When he was younger, he and I would drive down the road singing ‘Mr. Jones and Me’ by the Counting Crows at the top of our lungs,” she said. “It always put a smile on my face.”

McKneely said the driver of the vehicle that hit Clemons and Boutte was not charged in the accident or given a ticket because the investigating officer determined the driver was not at fault because he — and not the pedestrians — had the right of way.

The investigating officer also found that the driver was not under the influence of alcohol or speeding at the time of the accident.

Because the driver was not charged in the accident, McKneely said his name could not be released.

A memorial service for Dustin Clemons will be held at 7 p.m. today at Rabenhorst Funeral Home located at 11000 Florida Blvd.

[mmcat]

how sad...
thoughts and prayers with all involved.

[roqueemae]

Kevin and Dustin came by my office last week. They were all ready to install a chapter of Phi Delta Theta at UL. They talked with me for an hour about how great the fraternity is and how much they were willing to do to colonize a chapter here. They were all so enthusiastic and funny. I enjoyed meeting them and am sad to see such promising young men meet with such tragedy.

I used to run across that intersection all of the time. I was always scared, but this just validates that.

[Senusret I]