The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is investigating an accident between two boats. The collision took place near where the river meets the Gulf in Flatboat Pass. Two people were injured and one person died in the fatal accident.
Not many details have been released so far about the crash. What is known is that an oilfield crew boat and a 24-foot “shallow-draft recreational fishing boat” slammed into each other. There were only two people on the oilfield crewboat and neither of them was injured in the accident. All three of the people on the fishing boat were injured.
Emergency personnel took all three people to the hospital to be treated for their injuries. Unfortunately, the driver of the fishing boat sustained such severe injuries that he died on the way to the hospital. The two passengers on the boat were taken to a New Orleans hospital. One of them suffered minor injuries, but the other suffered head trauma. Their current conditions are unknown.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has not yet indicated what party is at fault in the accident. Many people tend to forget that a boat is also considered a motor vehicle and require the same amount of attention and care as driving a street vehicle. When people fail to exercise the proper care, a fatal accident can be the result. The seriously injured man has the right to file a personal injury claim against the party or parties responsible for his injuries. It will depend on the outcome of the official investigation whether the family of the driver of the fishing boat will be able to file a wrongful death claim to recover the financial losses they too have incurred.
Fatal Accident
Louisiana State Police Use Car Wreck to Remind us Not to Speed
A fatal accident on June 5 has given the Louisiana State Police the opportunity to remind drivers to slow down. Excessive speeds reduce reaction time for things such as stopping, avoid obstacles and even taking a curve in the road. The car wreck they are currently investigating may have been the result of a speeding driver that lost control.
The accident in question occurred on U.S. Highway 165 near Bastrop. This is the 18th fatal accident that Louisiana State Police Troop F has investigated so far this year. An out-of-state driver somehow lost control of his vehicle and spun into the oncoming lanes of traffic. When that happened, another vehicle was unable to avoid colliding with the out of control car.
The out-of-state driver was killed as a result of the accident. His passenger ended up being taken to an area hospital with injuries that have been described as serious. The driver and two passengers in the other vehicle sustained moderate injuries and were also taken to an area hospital. The current conditions of the injured parties are not known.
It is not believed that alcohol played a factor in the crash, but in accordance with procedure, toxicology samples were taken and sent for analysis as the investigation continues. Those that were injured in the car wreck have the right to file personal injury claims against the estate of the deceased driver. Expenses such as medical bills and lost wages have a tendency to add up quickly and may be reimbursed through a successful civil action.
Louisiana Woman Killed in Car Wreck in Shreveport
The intersection of Klug Pines Road and West 70th Street in Shreveport became the scene of a fatal two-car accident on May 22. One of the vehicles was traveling south on Klug Pines Road while the other vehicle was headed west on West 70th Street. The southbound vehicle slammed into the driver’s side of the westbound vehicle. Investigators are still in the process of determining what exactly caused the car wreck.
Alcohol is not believed to have been a factor in the crash. However, state law requires toxicology testing to be done when there is a fatality as a result of an accident. The driver believed responsible for the accident, a 66-year-old Louisiana woman, did not suffer serious injuries in the crash. Nonetheless, she was taken to the hospital in order to have the state required blood draw for toxicology done.
The driver of the other vehicle involved, a 70-year-old woman also from Louisiana, was taken to an area hospital with unspecified injuries. The woman passed away at the hospital from the injuries she sustained in the crash, notwithstanding the efforts of medical personnel at the hospital. It remains to be seen whether the driver of the southbound vehicle will be criminally charged.
There is also a question as to whether the family of the victim will exercise its right to file a wrongful death claim against the other driver involved in this car wreck. Before the family makes that determination, they will have the unfortunate responsibility of prematurely burying their loved one. As they struggle to come to terms with their loss, they will surely also want to follow the progress of the official investigation and any related criminal proceedings, should charges result. Regardless, the family may also elect the consider the viability of pursuing a wrongful death lawsuit, and they may gain by researching their legal rights under Louisiana laws.
Flat Tire Leads to Homicide Plea in Fatal Accident in Louisiana
A man was traveling north on U.S. 171 last April when he got flat tire on the Calcasieu River Bridge. At the same time, another vehicle was also traveling north on U.S. 171 heading toward the man and his disabled vehicle. The woman driving that car ended up slamming into the disabled car killing the man and his daughter who was only 13 years old at the time of the fatal accident.
Now, a little more than a year later, the woman driving the car has pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and negligent injuring in connection with the deaths of the father and daughter. Louisiana authorities discovered that the woman had taken a number of drugs on the day of the accident. It is believed that due to this drug use, she was impaired when she struck the man’s car.
The entered her plea just a week before she was to go to trial. Her sentencing has been scheduled for July 26. It is not known whether the victims’ family will be present at that sentencing.
This fatal accident may serve as a reminder to Louisiana drivers just how fragile life is and how quickly things can change. This family didn’t only lose one member that day, but two. The young girl that was killed will never get a chance to grow up, and her family will never know the kind of woman she would have become. The victims’ family may be able to gain their own sense of justice by filing wrongful death claims against the woman who has now admitted to taking their lives.
Is Louisiana to Blame for Fatal Accident?
The Louisiana State Police still isn’t sure what caused an accident on the fairly new flyover ramp from Causeway Boulevard onto Interstate 10. The family of the victim of the fatal accident says that there are safety concerns with the design of the ramp. They believe their loved one would have survived the crash if there had been better safety measures in place.
The victim and her partner were trying to sell a scooter and were taking the vehicle to an interested buyer. While the woman rode her scooter, her partner was following behind her in another vehicle. As the woman was negotiating the flyover ramp she somehow lost control and hit the side wall of the ramp.
When she did, she was thrown off of the scooter and over the wall of the ramp. She landed on the highway below — a drop of about 50 feet. Even though she was alive when her partner and a passing doctor managed to get to her, it was too late. According to her partner, the victim flew at least two to three feet into the air as she went over the wall. It is the family’s contention that if the wall had been built higher or if there was some sort of safety fence above the existing wall, she might be alive.
Under Louisiana law, the family of a fatal accident victim may file a wrongful death claim against any party or parties whose actions may have caused or contributed to the death of that person. Sometimes, that person is a company or governmental agency. In this case, even though the state Department of Transportation says the wall was built in accordance with industry standards and would not have been opened for use unless it had been deemed safe, a Louisiana court may end up being the ultimate judge of that.
Louisiana Man Dies in Motorcycle Vs. Auto Accident
The Louisiana State Police was recently called to the scene of an accident involving a juvenile in a car and a man on a motorcycle. Troopers have completed their preliminary investigation into the motorcycle vs. auto accident. The juvenile was not injured in the crash.
The motorcycle rider, however, was seriously injured. He was taken to an area hospital where medical personnel attempted to save his life. Unfortunately, he succumbed to his injuries and died. The motorcycle rider had been traveling on U.S. 371 toward Louisiana Highway 2 when the juvenile driving a Toyota pulled out in front of him.
The Toyota had stopped at the intersection of the two highways before proceeding into the intersection. Somehow, the car managed to drive directly in front of the motorcycle. The young, inexperienced driver attempted to avoid a collision, but ended up headed the wrong way down U.S. 371. The motorcycle rider attempted to stop, but only lost control of his motorcycle. When that happened, he went flying into the side of the car along with his motorcycle.
The Louisiana State Police have not indicated whether the juvenile will face any charges or be given any citations in connection with the auto accident. Despite the actions of the authorities, the family of the motorcycle rider may file a wrongful death claim in order to seek recovery of the costs and other damages sustained as a result of the accident. No matter what, the events of that night can’t be changed, and two families have been thrown into chaos. The young driver that was involved in the accident will have to live the rest of his life with the memories of that night.