Thursday 1 February 2018

Photos: Former NBA player Rasual Butler & his wife, singer Leah LaBelle, killed in a car accident

A former NBA basketball player who played for the Los Angeles Clippers and his wife were killed Wednesday morning after their Range Rover struck parking meters, a wall and rolled into a parking lot, authorities said.
Studio City residents Rasual Butler, 38, and his wife Leah LaBelle, 31, were pronounced dead at the scene in the 11200 block of Ventura Boulevard, Los Angeles Police Department officials said.
In a statement, the L.A. Clippers confirmed Butler and LaBelle, an R&B singer who was on the third season of reality television show “American Idol,” were killed in the crash.
“The L.A. Clippers are deeply saddened by the loss of Rasual Butler and his wife, Leah LaBelle,” the statement said. “Rasual will long be remembered not only for his accomplishments on the court, but for his vibrant personality, positive outlook and the compassion he had for everyone around him.”
Butler played for the Clippers from 2009-2011 and the small forward/shooting guard also played for a number of teams. This included being drafted and playing for the Miami Heat in 2002 and later the Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors. He last played pre-season basketball for the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2016.
According to Detective William Bustos of the LAPD’s Valley Traffic Division, “speed was a factor” in the crash, which he described as “horrific.”
Just before 2:30 a.m., police say the 2011 Land Rover was driving westbound on Ventura Boulevard “at a high-rate of speed” when it veered off the roadway and hit the curb. The car continued over the curb, hitting three parking meters, a concrete wall and several other objects before flipping two times and coming to a stop inside the parking lot, according to police.
Butler, who authorities say was driving, and LaBelle were the only people in the vehicle.
Video from the scene showed the vehicle had crashed into and damaged a Marshalls store.
Investigators surround a destroyed Range Rover after the vehicle, which was traveling west on Ventura Boulevard. early Wednesday morning, left the roadway at a very high rate of speed, went though a wrought-iron fence and landed in the Marshall’s parking lot in Studio City. A man and woman were killed in the solo crash, later reported to be former NBA player Rasual Butler and his wife, singer Leah LaBelle. (Photo by Mike Meadows for the Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Investigators surround a destroyed Range Rover after the vehicle, which was traveling west on Ventura Boulevard. early Wednesday morning, left the roadway at a very high rate of speed, went though a wrought-iron fence and landed in the Marshall’s parking lot in Studio City. A man and woman were killed in the solo crash, later reported to be former NBA player Rasual Butler and his wife, singer Leah LaBelle. (Photo by Mike Meadows for the Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Investigators surround a destroyed Range Rover after the vehicle, which was traveling west on Ventura Boulevard. early Wednesday morning, left the roadway at a very high rate of speed, went though a wrought-iron fence and landed in the Marshall’s parking lot in Studio City. A man and woman were killed in the solo crash, later reported to be former NBA player Rasual Butler and his wife, singer Leah LaBelle. (Photo by Mike Meadows for the Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Investigators are on scene early Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018, on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City after a Range Rover crashed into several objects before hitting a Marshalls store near Arch Drive. Both occupants of the vehicle were killed. (Photo by Wes Woods II/Los Angeles Daily News)
Investigators are on scene early Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018, on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City after a Range Rover crashed into several objects before hitting a Marshalls store near Arch Drive. Both occupants of the vehicle were killed. (Photo by Wes Woods II/Los Angeles Daily News)
Investigators are on scene early Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018, on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City after a Range Rover crashed into several objects before hitting a Marshalls store near Arch Drive. Both occupants of the vehicle were killed. (Photo by Wes Woods II/Los Angeles Daily News)
Investigators are on scene early Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018, on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City after a Range Rover crashed into several objects before hitting a Marshalls store near Arch Drive. Both occupants of the vehicle were killed. (Photo by Wes Woods II/Los Angeles Daily News)
Investigators are on scene early Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018, on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City after a Range Rover crashed into several objects before hitting a Marshalls store near Arch Drive. Both occupants of the vehicle were killed. (Photo by Wes Woods II/Los Angeles Daily News)
Investigators are on scene early Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018, on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City after a Range Rover crashed into several objects before hitting a Marshalls store near Arch Drive. Both occupants of the vehicle were killed. (Photo by Wes Woods II/Los Angeles Daily News)
Investigators are on scene early Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018, on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City after a Range Rover crashed into several objects before hitting a Marshalls store near Arch Drive. Both occupants of the vehicle were killed. (Photo by Wes Woods II/Los Angeles Daily News)
Investigators are on scene early Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018, on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City after a Range Rover crashed into several objects before hitting a Marshalls store near Arch Drive. Both occupants of the vehicle were killed. (Photo by Wes Woods II/Los Angeles Daily News)
Investigators are on scene early Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018, on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City after a Range Rover crashed into several objects before hitting a Marshalls store near Arch Drive. Both occupants of the vehicle were killed. (Photo by Wes Woods II/Los Angeles Daily News)
Investigators are on scene early Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018, on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City after a Range Rover crashed into several objects before hitting a Marshalls store near Arch Drive. Both occupants of the vehicle were killed. (Photo by Wes Woods II/Los Angeles Daily News)
Investigators are on scene early Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018, on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City after a Range Rover crashed into several objects before hitting a Marshalls store near Arch Drive. Both occupants of the vehicle were killed. (Photo by Wes Woods II/Los Angeles Daily News)

3 comments:

  1. Alex Okey23:59

    Shit!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Aygee11:07

    Drunk driving never ends pretty, that's drunk driving was the cause. Could have easily been more people involved in this horror. May their souls rest in peace.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Very pathetic indeed! May God rest their souls!! x

      Delete

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