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.