Travis Barconey was just trying to fix a flat tire on his way through town late at night. The 35-year-old pulled his white Honda Accord into the right lane of Scenic Highway in Baton Rouge around 1:20 a.m. He stepped out into the dark night to check the damage. Seconds later, a heavy SUV hit him and kept going.
Emergency crews arrived shortly after a passerby saw his body lying in the street. Paramedics pronounced Barconey dead right at the scene. His Honda sat stranded near the curb with a ruined front tire. The driver who hit him left no note, called no ambulance, and never hit the brakes.
For weeks, Barconey’s family lived with no answers about who killed him. They knew only that someone ran him down and vanished into the night. Police searched the stretch of road for any clues, but the dark highway left few immediate witnesses. All they had was a dead end and a grieving family waiting for justice.
Traffic cameras near the highway gave investigators their first real break. Footage showed a black Chevy SUV driving past moments before the crash with both headlights working fine. A short time later, another camera caught the same SUV down the road. This time, its right headlight was busted out and its front bumper was crushed.
Investigators tracked down the damaged SUV after an anonymous tip led them to a local auto repair shop on Ardenwood Drive. The vehicle belonged to 48-year-old Robin Taylor. Police towed the Chevy to an evidence bay and opened the trunk. Hidden inside was the shattered front quarter panel that someone had removed to cover up the damage.
State crime lab techs swabbed the hidden car parts for evidence. DNA tests came back as a direct match to Barconey. To make the case tighter, police pulled cell phone tower records showing Taylor’s phone was right at Scenic Highway at the exact minute of the crash.
Police have issued arrest warrants for Taylor on charges of hit-and-run driving and obstruction of justice. While the legal process moves forward, Barconey’s family is left putting their lives back together without him. A simple flat tire on a quiet highway ended up costing a young man his life.
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