Woman killed in Baton Rouge I-12 crash worked for mayor, remembered as 'a devoted leader'

Simone Pillette died in a car crash early Sunday morning, according to police. Simone Pillette died in a car crash early Sunday morning, according to police. The woman killed in a fiery crash early Sunday morning in Baton Rouge worked for the Office of Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome.

Simone Pillette was driving a 2014 Lincoln MKZ on Interstate 12 eastbound around 1 a.m. Sunday when the front driver side tire collided with the rear tire of a 2018 Jeep Wrangler, causing her to veer off the road, Baton Rouge Police said.

Pillette struck a tree and her car was engulfed in flames. Pillette died at the scene, police said. "As our Office Manager, Simone was the heartbeat of our office," Broome said in a statement.

"She was a devoted leader, handling many of our citizens' requests and playing an integral role in the Mayor’s Advisory Council on Veterans Affairs.".