If you drive east of Lake Charles on Interstate 10 for about 150 miles, you will wind up in Ascension Parish. A recent multi-vehicle highway crash there claimed the life of a 21-year-old St. Amant woman.
A spokesperson for the Louisiana State Police said an initial investigation points to excess speed was a crucial factor in the deadly crash.
Law enforcement officials said the crash occurred shortly after 2:30 p.m. when a 2004 Lexus GS was driven at high speed by a 17-year-old from Prairieville. The woman was a front-seat passenger in the Lexus.
As the southbound Lexus approached an intersection on Airline Highway, it began to “rotate,” a news report stated. The Lexus slammed into the back end of a 2014 Dodge Ram pick-up that had stopped at the intersection. The force of the impact caused the pick-up to hit a 2016 Acura RDX, which then struck a 2016 GMC Sierra.
Even though the 21-year-old woman was wearing a seatbelt, she sustained serious injuries in the initial crash and was taken to a Baton Rouge hospital. She later died there as a result of those injuries, the news report stated.
According to law enforcement officials, driver impairment is not believed to have been a factor in the crash, though toxicology reports from the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab are still pending.
If you or a loved one has been harmed in a motor vehicle wreck caused by a speeding or impaired driver, contact a Lake Charles car accident lawyer today for a consultation.