Shortly after 6:30 p.m. on a recent Friday, troopers with the Louisiana State Police were called to the scene of a crash on Interstate 55. When they arrived at the scene of the car accident, they discovered that three vehicles had been involved. The scene extended from the northbound lanes into the southbound lanes.
A car was traveling behind a pickup truck on the northbound side of the highway. The preliminary investigation conducted by troopers with the Louisiana State Police indicates that the car rear-ended the pickup truck. The impact caused the 26-year-old driver of the car to lose control of it. It careened through the median into the southbound lanes where it slammed into a southbound vehicle.
In that car was a married couple from Arkansas. The 64-year-old driver suffered severe injuries and at last report remained in critical condition in an area hospital. His wife, the 60-year-old passenger in the car, did not survive the crash.
The northbound driver believed to have caused the crash reportedly suffered moderate injuries. The 62-year-old driver of the pickup truck did not suffer any injuries. Even though routine toxicology tests are being conducted on the drivers, troopers do not believe that impairment was a factor in the crash.
As the investigation continues, the critically injured widower is fighting for his life. If he recovers, he may file wrongful death and personal injury claims in connection with this tragic car accident. If the evidence establishes that his injuries and his wife’s death were caused by the negligence of another, a Louisiana court might consider awarding damages to him. A monetary judgment will not stop the man from grieving the loss of his wife, but it could help him with the financial burdens he likely faces due to this terrible accident.
Source: ksla.com, “Arkansas woman killed, husband in critical condition after crash in Hammond”, Jan. 16, 2016
