Even though William Fetty never met Sandra Royer, he said he felt an almost indescribable pain when he heard on the news that the 42-year-old cyclist was killed in a hit-and-run.
"I just can't imagine. I just can't imagine. That could have been my wife. That could have been me. That could have been anyone,” Fetty said.
Then he heard the suspect was possibly driving a dark-colored Chevrolet truck and something in him clicked.
"For some reason or another it struck me that it was possibly the man's son, who lives across the street, truck,” Fetty explained.
However, Fetty couldn’t find the truck until he went to go clean up a tree that had fallen across the road from his house.
As Fetty was removing a tree he happened to look over a fence and that's when he saw the truck.
“Just happened to look over the fence. I saw the damage done to the right side as what they had said on the news and put two and two together and called the sheriff's office,” he said.
The sheriff’s office directed him to Louisiana State Police and it was enough for officers to arrest Ray Louis Clark of Slidell. The 33-year-old was booked for felony hit-and-run and driving with a suspended license.
It was an arrest that may have never happened since State Police didn’t have a single lead until they heard from Fetty.
“I am not after this for the glitz, the glory. I don't consider myself a hero in anyway. I saw something, I did something,” he said.
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Royer was killed on a busy stretch of La 1090 in Slidell but State Police say she was doing everything right. She had lights on her bike, and even a reflective vest.
Fetty is still saddened to know she is gone, but is proud he could help police in their investigation and is encouraging others to do the same.
"If you see something… report it. No matter how small. No matter how small.”
Clark was arrested and booked into the St. Tammany Parish jail. Any additional charges will be forwarded to the District Attorney’s Office after the investigation.
Paul Dudley can be reached at pdudley@wwltv.com.