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VIDALIA, La. — A judge ruled last week that there is “probable cause” for Ben Ceasor, 29, to face trial for his involvement in a fatal three-vehicle collision that killed a Natchez business owner.

Seventh Judicial District Court Division A Judge John Reeves reached this decision after short deliberation following the testimony of two witnesses on Nov. 13.

Reeves scheduled a status hearing for Jan. 29 for other charges of second-degree battery, domestic abuse battery and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.

Following the wreck in Ferriday on March 18, Ceasor had been arrested and charged by Louisiana State Police with aggravated flight from an officer, felony hit and run, vehicular homicide, vehicular negligent injury, resisting an officer by providing false information, illegal possession of a firearm by a felon and a stop sign violation.

Jason Tyson, 43, who owned the Donut Shop in Natchez, was killed during the wreck in which Ceasor reportedly ran from a traffic stop and ran through a stop sign before crashing into the other vehicles 100 feet or less away from the initial traffic stop.

The driver and a juvenile passenger of the third vehicle involved sustained moderate injuries and were transported to a local hospital, according to a release from Louisiana State Police. Ceasor suffered a broken leg.

Assistant District Attorney Joey Booth called LSP officer John Walker who testified to evidence that Ceasor was under the influence of synthetic marijuana during the incident. Walker also testified to finding a gun illegally in Ceasor’s vehicle while investigating the wreck.

Ceasor’s defense attorney Cody McElroy called Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office Deputy Billy Joe Farmer, who had initiated the traffic stop moments before the crash.

Farmer said he’d stopped Ceasor’s vehicle in response to a BOLO (be on the lookout) alert out of Tensas Parish for Ceasor, who had a warrant for aggravated assault with a firearm.

Farmer testified that he never threatened Ceasor or pointed any gun at him to make him run.

Ceasor had been convicted in 2014 of a simple burglary and placed under three years of probation. His probation was revoked after he’d been arrested again in April 2017 for allegedly shooting into an occupied residence on Loomis Lane from a vehicle occupied by two other people. Ceasor’s attempted second-degree murder charges were reduced to two counts of aggravated assault by drive-by shooting, and no bill had been filed on resisting an officer charges, court records show.

According to District Attorney Brad Burget, the evidence in the 2017 Case “was not very strong for a conviction” but was enough to revoke his probation. Ceasor was then sentenced to serve five years for the 2014 robbery with credit for time served.

Ceasor was arrested again in December 2023 by CPSO on charges of domestic abuse battery and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Court proceedings on those charges were continued to May 25, 2024.