Impairment Suspected in Fatal Accident on I-55 in Louisiana

Louisiana State Police officers closed a portion of southbound Interstate 55 for several hours on March 11 while they investigated and cleaned up a three-car crash. Three people were injured and two people lost their lives in the fatal accident. Officers suspect that impairment was a significant factor in the crash.
The driver suspected of being impaired was traveling north on Interstate 55 in the southbound lanes between Ruddock and Manchac. His vehicle and another vehicle ended up colliding head-on. A third vehicle was able to avoid colliding with the two vehicles, but the fluids spilling out from the wrecked cars onto the road caused the driver to lose control and slam into a guardrail.
The 32-year-old wrong-way driver suffered fatal injuries and died at the scene. Emergency personnel transported the two passengers in his vehicle to area hospitals for treatment of moderate injuries. The driver of the vehicle the wrong-way driver slammed into survived the crash, but later succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital. The driver of the third vehicle refused medical treatment for seemingly minor injuries.
Louisiana State Police investigators are awaiting the results of toxicology tests to confirm or deny whether the driver of the northbound vehicle was impaired at the time of this fatal accident. Obviously, no criminal charges could be filed against the man since he died in the crash, but the family of the other deceased driver and the injured victims may file civil actions against his estate. Damages such as medical costs, pain and suffering and other financial losses recognized by our wrongful death and personal injury laws may be awarded if negligence is proved to the satisfaction of the court.