KFDM News Anchor, Kinder Native, Bill Leger Killed in Accident

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Bill Leger as well as his broadcasting family.

Bill Leger, a native of Kinder, Louisiana, had been with the news department at KFDM in Beaumont for about two decades.

From the KFDM website:

KFDM is saddened to report the death of our colleague, our friend, Bill Leger.

Bill was a member of our KFDM family as an anchorman and reporter for about 20 years, and his work on television and his community service touched many families across Southeast Texas during that time.

Bill died in a traffic accident in Louisiana early Saturday morning.  According to Louisiana State Police, Bill was driving south on Louisiana 93 north of Scott, Louisiana, at about 1 a.m. Saturday, when his vehicle failed to negotiate a curve. His vehicle ran off the road to the right and he overcorrected, causing the vehicle to overturn and come to rest in the middle of the road in the northbound lane of Louisiana 93.  Another vehicle, a truck, was traveling north on Louisiana 93 and struck Bill's vehicle. According to updated information from Louisiana State Police, troopers arrested the other driver, Clint Melancon, 52, of Carencro, for DWI after it was determined his blood alcohol level was over the legal limit. Melancon was booked into the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center for DWI 1st offense. The crash remains under investigation.

Bill was a reporter and anchor at KFDM News for about two decades.  He reported on air and live from the field, telling Southeast Texans about major events including hurricanes and trials. Bill did a number of investigative reports as well, and won many awards for his stories. His popular Restaurant Report aired every Friday.

We and many in the community remember Bill for much more than his television work.  Bill was a caring, compassionate person who enjoyed helping people, touching their lives with his anchoring and reporting, and having a positive influence on the region.  He did so through his volunteer work with many organizations, for which he gave countless hours of service, as well as his involvement with telethons including the MDA and Children's Miracle Network.

He relished his involvement with Mardi Gras of Southeast Texas, including the annual live report from the 'chicken toss.' His 'Boudreaux-Thibodeaux' jokes were legendary, and he always had a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye when someone called him or emailed a particularly good suggestion.

Bill had the rare ability to make people meeting him for the first time feel at ease, like they'd known him for years. He could ask tough questions when conducting interviews but took the time to listen and make sure he was getting the full story. He was painstakingly fair and engendered trust. Those qualities allowed him to cultivate sources and develop friends who stood by him for decades.