A 37-year-old LaPlace man was killed Monday night after the car he was driving left the southbound lanes of Interstate 55 and crashed into a state weigh station in Tangipahoa Parish, according to Louisiana State Police. The impact happened at about 8:40 p.m., just north of Highway 1050, and emergency crews pronounced the driver dead at the scene. Troopers said the weigh station was closed at the time of the crash.
NOLA.com reports that state police identified the driver as Kylen R. Wilkens and said he was not wearing a seat belt when the 2017 Acura TLX veered off the roadway and struck the building. Troopers said no other vehicles were involved. Toxicology results have not yet been released, and the crash remains under investigation.
Crash details
According to state police, the Acura was heading south on I-55 when it traveled off the right side of the interstate and hit the closed weigh-station structure just north of Highway 1050. Investigators with the Louisiana State Police Major Crash unit stayed on scene as they worked to piece together what led to the collision.
Investigation and safety context
Troopers told NOLA.com that toxicology testing is pending and the investigation is ongoing. Data compiled by Louisiana State University's traffic records program shows Tangipahoa Parish has seen a notable share of roadway deaths involving people who were not buckled up in recent years, a pattern that has drawn concern from safety advocates. LSU CARS provides the parish-level figures.
State police have not released additional details about speed or other possible contributing factors. Officials say more information will be shared as the investigation moves forward.
