The Louisiana State Police are searching for a white minivan believed to have been involved in an accident that led to the death of a toddler. The fatal accident took place near LA 632 on US 90. Anyone with information regarding this white minivan is asked to contact Troop B in St. Charles Parish.
It is believed that the white minivan in question was in the right lane of the highway when it passed a speeding car in the left lane. When the van got past the car in the left lane, it pulled in front of the car and applied its brakes. This caused the car to swerve to the right and crash into a ditch.
The driver, front seat passenger and a four-year-old in the backseat all sustained minor injuries. Unfortunately, the 2-year-old passenger was not properly restrained and was thrown during the accident. Despite the efforts of medical personnel at an area trauma center, the toddler died as the result of head trauma sustained in the accident.
The Louisiana State Police have indicated that speed is a factor in the crash. However, it is not yet clear whether impairment was also a factor; and toxicology tests have been sent for analysis. The investigation is ongoing and criminal charges are pending.
The family of the toddler retains the right to file a wrongful death claim against the party or parties responsible for the fatal accident that stole the toddler’s life before it had a chance to begin. The results of the official investigation, including locating the white minivan, may be used by the family to identify the party or parties to be named in a civil action. Those same results can be used to illustrate the negligence of the responsible parties and that their actions led to the toddler’s death.
Fatal Accident
Rear-end Car Wreck in Louisiana Takes the Life of Passenger
A car with four occupants that was sitting at a red light ended up being involved in a rear-end collision. The car wreck took the life of one passenger, a Louisiana woman. The driver and two other passengers were injured and taken to an area hospital.
According to the Louisiana State Police, the car was at a red light on US Highway 90 in Bayou Vista when a pickup truck approached the intersection. The truck slammed into the rear of the car. The driver of the pickup truck was properly restrained at the time of the accident and suffered no injuries.
The car driver and two of the passengers suffered moderate injuries despite being properly restrained. There was no immediate word on the specific nature of their injuries or their updated medical conditions. The woman who passed away was declared dead at the scene. Toxicology samples were taken by authorities in order to determine if impairment could have been a factor in the wreck. The investigation is ongoing.
No matter what happens with the official investigation or what criminal charges are filed as a result, the injured passengers and the family of the deceased woman retain the right to file civil action against the pickup driver and any separate owner of the vehicle he was driving. Filing a lawsuit won’t change the events of that day, heal injuries, or bring back a lost loved one, but a successfully litigated claim may help with the financial impact of the car wreck. Expenses such as medical bills, lost wages and funeral costs are recoverable in a civil action if negligence is established.
Louisiana State Police Investigate Fatal Truck Accident
The Louisiana State Police are investing a crash in which the driver of an SUV was killed. The truck accident occurred on US 190 West. It took authorities approximately seven hours to gather evidence and clear the wreckage from the scene.
A Peterbilt tractor-trailer was traveling east on the highway as it approached a private driveway. The trucker began his turn into that private driveway as a westbound SUV was heading toward him. The SUV ended up crashing into the tractor trailer. The impact was forceful enough to trap the vehicle under the 18-wheeler. As a result, the vehicle was dragged into the private driveway as the truck came to a stop.
The driver whose vehicle became wedged under the truck died as a result of the injuries he sustained in the accident. The Louisiana State Police are not yet able to say whether the driver of the truck was impaired at the time of the accident. A toxicology sample was taken in order to make that determination. It isn’t yet known whether any charges will be filed in connection with the accident.
The victim in this fatal truck accident met an untimely death, and now his family is forced to face this fact. They will also be forced to incur expenses in connection with his death, including funeral costs. Being reimbursed for these expenses may not be the first thing the family thinks about, but it may become a concern at some point. The family retains the right to file a wrongful death action in an attempt to recover these expenses based upon proof that the trucker negligently caused the fatal accident.
Suspected Drunk Driver Surrenders After Louisiana Auto Accident
Every driver on the roads in Louisiana owes a duty of reasonable care to others. When a person decides to drink and then get behind the wheel of their car, they are likely breaching that duty. Should an auto accident result from a person drinking and driving, that individual may not only criminal charges, but could also be required to answer civil claims pursued by the people and families they have impacted.
There is a family in Louisiana that is now without their two-year-old toddler due to a suspected drunk driver. A man driving an SUV slammed into a pickup truck in which the toddler was riding. That toddler was taken to a hospital in Baton Rouge where medical personnel attempted to save his life. Unfortunately, their efforts failed, and the toddler died as a result of the injuries he sustained in the accident.
Authorities suspect that the driver of the SUV was impaired at the time of the accident. As a result, he has been charged with vehicular homicide, OWI, and other charges. The driver turned himself in to police and was booked into an area jail.
In addition to the criminal charges he is already facing, the family of the toddler retains the right to file a wrongful death claim against him. Should they be able to demonstrate that the driver was negligent and that his actions caused the death of the two-year-old boy, the victim’s family may be awarded the costs and damages they have sustained as a result of this tragic auto accident. No amount of monetary compensation will ever be able to right the fact that this young boy will never have a chance to grow up. That is something his family will never get to see. However, successfully litigating a civil action may help the family achieve some sense of justice on behalf of the life that ended far too soon.
Mobile Device May Have Led to Fatal Car Wreck in Louisiana
The Louisiana State Police suspect that a mobile device may have led to a fatal crash in Ascension Parish. The car wreck took place at the intersection of Louisiana Highway 931 and Joe Sevario Road. The accident is still under investigation.
The intersection where the accident took place is governed by a four-way stop. A woman driving south on Joe Sevario Road stopped at the intersection in question before proceeding through it. At the same time, a man was driving west on the highway failed to stop at the intersection, causing him to slam into the woman’s car.
The Louisiana State Police say the woman was properly restrained at the time of the accident. Unfortunately, having her seat belt fastened did not preclude the woman from suffering fatal injuries as a result of the impact. Authorities have taken a toxicology sample from the man to determine whether he was impaired at the time of the accident.
A mobile device was found in his vehicle, and authorities believe the driver may have been distracted when the accident occurred. The driver was taken to the Ascension Parish Jail. He has been charged with negligent homicide in addition to other charges. Depending on the outcome of the official investigation, the man could face further charges.
Even though filing civil action could never repair the damage done to the family by the woman’s death, her family retains the right to file a wrongful death claim against the other driver. If a civil court determines that the driver’s actions in this car wreck were negligent and that his actions caused or contributed to the death of their loved one, the family may be awarded the costs and damages incurred as a result of her death. Along with any monetary compensation they receive, the family may also feel they have received some sense of justice on behalf of their lost loved one.
3 Killed and 1 Charged in Separate Louisiana Car Accidents
Two separate accidents on Louisiana roadways have led to the death of three men and criminal allegations against another man. It is speculated that careless driving for prevailing weather conditions may have been a significant factor in both car accidents. One accident occurred in Slidell, and the other occurred near Ponchatoula.
The accident in Slidell occurred when the driver somehow lost control of his vehicle, sending it spinning into a tree. The driver and front seat passenger were taken to Ochsner Northshore Medical Center to be treated for minor injuries. The backseat passenger was apparently not properly restrained during the accident and was fatally injured. After being treated for his injuries, the driver was taken to St. Tammany Parish Jail on charges of negligent homicide, careless operation and other charges.
The accident near Ponchatoula on Interstate 55 occurred when a driver lost control of his vehicle, causing it to scrape the right side of an 18-wheeler. The driver then over corrected and landed on its roof in a canal containing at least a few feet of water. Both the driver and front seat passenger were unable to free themselves from the vehicle and died.
The driver of the 18-wheeler in the second accident was not hurt, and a breath test did not indicate he had been drinking alcohol. The Louisiana State Police are not sure whether any drivers were impaired at the time of the accidents. Toxicology samples have been taken and will be analyzed.
There are several thousands of car accidents each year involving drivers that do not take reasonable care during inclement weather, and some of those accidents result in death. It is then that the family of the victim may file a wrongful death claim against the party or parties deemed responsible. This appears to be the case in connection with the Slidell accident, though in the Ponchatoula accident, the driver apparently responsible was also killed. It may still be possible for the family of the passenger to file a wrongful death claim against the estate of the deceased driver, based upon proof of negligence. No matter what the families in these cases decide to do, nothing can change the tragic consequences of the fatal collisions.