A 54-year-old Louisiana woman suffered fatal injuries after being struck by a vehicle on Dec. 29. The supposed driver of the vehicle involved in this fatal pedestrian accident failed to remain at the scene. Police believe the responsible party is now in custody.
From evidence gathered at the scene, Louisiana authorities were able to determine the make and model of the vehicle that struck the woman. The identification of the vehicle, a white Dodge pickup truck, led them to a pickup truck owned by a Chalmette man. The vehicle had sustained damage consistent with the evidence obtained by investigators.
It is believed the owner of the pickup truck was driving the night the woman was run down. An arrest warrant was issued, and the 70-year-old man turned himself in to police on New Year’s Day. He faces charges of negligent homicide, reckless operation and an additional felony charge for hit-and-run.
No other information regarding the victim was reported. It is not known how long she was on Louisiana 46 before she was found or if she could have survived with immediate medical care. More information may become available after police complete their investigation.
As the criminal case in connection with this fatal pedestrian accident progresses, the victim’s family may receive answers to any lingering questions they may have regarding the accident. If a conviction is secured, the family may use that conviction in any related civil action as evidence of the driver’s negligence. If negligence is proved, the family could be awarded for damages by the court.
Investigation
U.S. Hwy 167 in Louisiana Scene of Double Fatal Accident
Shortly before 9 p.m. on Sept. 28, Louisiana State Police from Troop F responded to U.S. Highway 167 near Louisiana Highway 15. When they arrived, they discovered a double fatal accident that involved only one vehicle. One of the vehicle’s occupants was still belted in, while the other had been thrown free of the vehicle at some point during the crash.
Louisiana State Police troopers have preliminarily determined that the vehicle was heading southbound on U.S. Highway 167. For an unknown reason, the car drifted off into the median twice before spinning and flipping. The flipping vehicle traveled all the way across the median and the northbound lanes until it finally came to a rest on the shoulder.
Fortunately, it does not appear that any other vehicles were involved in the crash. Both the driver, who was still buckled into the vehicle, and his passenger, who was thrown free, suffered fatal injuries. They were both pronounced dead at the scene.
It was not released whether there were any witnesses to the accident. If not, it could take some time for authorities to figure out what caused the accident. As party of the investigation, a toxicology sample may be taken from the driver to determine whether impairment was a factor in the crash. It could be more difficult to rule out factors such as speed, distracted driving or fatigue.
Having the results of the official investigation could help the family of the deceased passenger prove negligence on the part of the driver in this fatal accident. If the court agrees that the driver was negligent, the court may award the passenger’s family damages to be paid from the estate of the driver. In addition to being awarded any financial damages, the family may gain a sense of closure.
Fatal Accident in Louisiana May Have Been Caused by Speed
Most every driver in Louisiana has driven faster than the posted speed limit on occasion with no consequences. Everyone has done this despite the fact that it is a proven fact that excessive speed can be dangerous. Sadly, this fact may be illustrated by a recent fatal accident.
Police believe that it was excessive speed that caused a vehicle to drift into oncoming traffic as it was negotiating a curve. Regrettably for everyone involved, that vehicle drifted into the path of another vehicle that was unable to avoid the inevitable. The two vehicles collided.
The driver of the vehicle that was unfortunate enough to be on Louisiana Highway 765 that day sustained fatal injuries in the crash and died at the scene. The driver and passenger of the other vehicle both sustained what have only been described as moderate injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital. Their current conditions are not known.
The driver that is believed to have caused the accident has so far been charged with careless operation. Police are waiting for the results of routine toxicology tests taken as part of the investigation. Depending on those results, additional charges could be filed.
Other than the fact that the results of the official investigation into this fatal accident may be used as evidence in civil court, it is not necessary for the family of the victim in this fatal car accident to wait to find out if any additional charges will be filed. Under Louisiana law, the victim’s family may file a wrongful death claim against the other driver. The passenger in the at-fault vehicle may also file a personal injury claim as well.
Woman Ejected in Fatal Accident on Louisiana Hwy 594
When Louisiana State Police troopers arrived at an accident scene on Louisiana Highway 594, they found a woman lying on the road. The woman had been thrown from her vehicle during a fatal accident. She was pronounced dead by the Ouachita Parish Coroner’s Office at the scene.
Even though the circumstances of the accident are still being pieced together, police do have a preliminary report. The woman was driving south along Louisiana 594 when another vehicle came up behind her. That second vehicle was unwilling to wait until it was safe to pass and passed the woman’s vehicle illegally.
The driver of that second vehicle was reentering the southbound lane when he somehow miscalculated his position. As the driver steered back into the lane he caught the front end of the other driver’s car with the rear of his own which then sent her out of control. At some point as her vehicle swerved off of the opposite side of the road, smacked into a culvert and flipped over, the driver was ejected. Luckily, the two 11-year-old boys in the vehicle with her only suffered minor injuries.
So far, the only citation given to the second driver has been for illegally passing. Troopers don’t believe that alcohol was a factor, but took toxicology samples as part of the investigation. Even if police end up not filing any additional charges against the second driver, the woman’s family has the right to file a wrongful death claim in connection with this fatal accident. Troopers have taken this opportunity to remind drivers not to be sure they safely execute passing maneuvers and only when it is permissible.