A tragic event unfolded last Wednesday on U.S. Highway 165 when a collision resulted in the death of a 13-year-old boy from Columbia. The Louisiana State Police Troop F reported that the accident involved a GMC Envoy and a Freightliner commercial vehicle, as per a statement on their website. Irvin Hernandez Barajas, the teenager, succumbed to his injuries following the crash that occurred just before 10 p.m. near the intersection with Louisiana Highway 126.
During the crash, a GMC Envoy was stopped at a red light when it was hit from behind by a Freightliner truck. Barajas, who was in the back seat without a seatbelt, was killed. The driver and front passenger of the Envoy were wearing seatbelts and were not hurt. The truck driver was also buckled up and uninjured. Police say there's no sign of impairment, but routine toxicology tests are being done, according to the Louisiana State Police.
Barajas was rushed to an area hospital where he later died in the early hours of Thursday. As the crash remains under active investigation, the authorities urge the public to always use seat belts, reiterating how this simple act may "often mean the difference between life and death," in the words of the Louisiana State Police.
