A tragic hit-and-run in New Orleans claimed the life of 36-year-old bartender Michael Milam, who was cycling home from his shift at Cafe Lafitte in Exile when struck by 19-year-old Thomas Riggio III’s Infiniti on July 12, 2025. Riggio, impaired by cocaine and alcohol (BAC 0.07 detected 12 hours post-crash), fled the scene near St. Claude Avenue and Alvar Street, leaving Milam to die.
Incident and Investigation
Milam, a recent transplant from Houston with deep ties to the LGBTQ community through volunteering and bartending, had just ended his early-morning shift in the French Quarter. Riggio had been partying nearby before the collision. Toxicology and crash forensics confirmed his impairment and flight, despite his prior reckless driving record—like…..