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A patron leaving Tammy's Bar allegedly drove drunk and killed another patron walking home from the same bar.
After allegedly driving drunk from Tammy’s Bar in Nederland, then striking and killing another patron who was walking home before leaving the victim in a ditch, a 39-year-old Nederland man was indicted Nov. 3 for an accident involving injury or death.
Just before 4 a.m., Sunday, Sept. 26, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) investigators arrived at the scene of the alleged hit-and-run accident that killed 32-year-old Nicole Robinson.
Officers found the victim lying on the shoulder of Twin City Highway with injuries consistent with being struck by a vehicle, according to the probable cause affidavit. Although there weren’t any human witnesses there to see the alleged crime unfold, multiple surveillance cameras in the area caught Zachary Ryan Highlander, 39, leave the same bar before striking Robinson.
Upon viewing the footage, officers learned that a gold Dodge Ram pickup struck Robinson and carried her a short distance before its momentum threw her into a ditch. The pickup then slowed down to a rolling stop, according to the charging document, before speeding away from the scene.
Officers also viewed footage from Tammy’s Bar, located on Twin City Highway, where Robison exited and Robinson began walking south just before the crash. Officers learned that Highlander left the bar shortly after Robinson and began driving in the same direction in his gold Dodge Ram.
The bar footage also gave investigators a better look at the suspect vehicle, enabling them to get an address for the registered driver. Jefferson County deputies found multiple damaged, bloody car parts around the trash cans outside of his home, leading them to believe that Highlander tampered with evidence.
At about 7 p.m. Sept. 27, Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers aware of the search initiated a traffic stop on Highlander’s truck and noticed “significant” front end damage, as well as several missing parts, “as if someone was removing evidence from the vehicle,” the affidavit asserts.
Through speaking with officers on scene, “It was revealed that Highlander was the driver of the vehicle the night Robinson was killed,” according to officers. Highlander told officers he thought he hit a pothole that night, that he removed his front grill because he was having a mechanic work on the condenser and that he struck a deer, which caused damage to the front of his truck. He also told the officer he doesn’t pay attention to vehicle damage, but he washes it regularly – that’s why he washed it the morning after the crash.
“Highlander’s body language and nervousness during the interviews indicated that he was not being truthful when being interviewed,” officers wrote. Highlander was arrested Oct. 5 and booked into the Jefferson County Jail with a $500,000 bond for an accident involving injury or death.