Anytime there is a death involved in an accident, it is standard procedure for a toxicology sample to be taken from the drivers involved, even if officers at the scene do not believe that impairment was a factor. This is to ensure that the driver deemed responsible for a car accident was not on drugs or drunk at the time, which could affect any criminal charges filed in connection with the crash. This is why Louisiana State Police troopers sent a toxicology sample for testing in a recent accident in which one person was killed and others were injured.
While the Louisiana State Police await the outcome of that testing, the accident investigation continues to focus on how it occurred. Preliminary reports indicate that a vehicle heading south on U.S. 51 veered into the oncoming lane of traffic and collided head on with a northbound car. The driver of that car was the most seriously injured of those involved.
The 39-year-old woman was rushed to a hospital in the area. Sadly, her injuries were too severe to overcome, and she died as a result. The two passengers in her vehicle, a 22-year-old woman and a 1-year-old child, also suffered injuries, but not as severe as the driver’s injuries — perhaps due to the fact that they were in the backseat at the time of the accident. It was reported that the infant was in a car seat that had not been properly installed in the vehicle. The driver believed to have been at fault was also moderately injured.
The 24-year-old driver suffered moderate injuries. Any criminal charges being contemplated in connection with this car accident have not yet been announced. This does not mean, however, that the family of the deceased woman and the surviving victims cannot proceed with the filing of civil actions against the party or parties believed to be responsible for the crash. Proving that the woman’s death and the survivors’ injuries were due to the negligence of another could result in an award of monetary damages.
Source: nola.com, “Woman killed, 1-year-old injured in LaPlace crash”, Diana Samuels, Nov. 9, 2015
