A 34-year-old Chalmette man died late Tuesday night after a pickup truck struck his motorized bicycle from behind on LA Highway 46 near Yscloskey, and investigators say neither the bike nor the wagon it was towing had any lights or reflective tape. Jonathan Spino was pronounced dead at the scene following the crash, which happened shortly after 11 p.m. near Chevron Plant Road on the stretch of roadway also known as Florissant Highway.
According to WDSU, Spino was traveling east on the motorized bicycle with a wagon in tow when a 2001 Ford F-250, also headed east on LA 46, struck the bike and wagon in the roadway. The driver of the pickup was properly restrained during the crash and was not injured, the outlet reported. Spino was not wearing a helmet at the time of the collision.
Louisiana State Police Troop B, which investigates fatal crashes across St. Bernard Parish, said impairment is not suspected as a factor in the crash, though routine toxicology samples were collected for analysis as part of standard procedure. Investigators have not determined why the crash occurred, and the investigation continues.
Lighting Requirements and What Went Missing
State law is explicit about what nighttime cyclists are supposed to carry. Louisiana Revised Statute § 32:329.1 requires any bicycle or motorized bicycle operated after dark to be equipped with a front headlight visible from at least 500 feet, a rear red light or reflector visible from the same distance, and side reflectors visible up to 600 feet. Neither Spino's motorized bicycle nor the wagon attached to it carried any lights or reflective tape, according to the crash report cited by WDSU.
Louisiana law treats bicycles, including motorized ones, as vehicles on the road, meaning riders are required to follow the same traffic laws as motorists. Under Louisiana Revised Statute § 32:198, a motorized bicycle may only be operated on public roadways by someone at least 15 years old holding a valid driver's license, and riding on sidewalks or interstates is prohibited.
Helmet Use Remains Voluntary for Adults
Louisiana Revised Statute § 32:199 requires helmets only for bicycle riders and passengers under 12 years old, leaving helmet use voluntary for adults like Spino. Still, state police urged riders to remain as visible as possible, to use required lighting and reflective clothing at night, and to ride near the right side of the roadway when practicable. Louisiana Revised Statute § 32:197 does allow riders to move away from the right side of the road while passing, turning left, or avoiding hazards.
Motorists also carry a legal duty toward cyclists. Louisiana's Colin Goodier Protection Act, codified at La. R.S. § 32:76.1 and enacted in 2009, requires drivers overtaking a bicycle traveling in the same direction to maintain at least three feet of clearance until safely past the rider, according to Expertise.com. The law was named for a New Orleans native and physician killed in a bicycling crash in Baton Rouge.
A Dangerous Corridor, A Dangerous State
LA Highway 46 is a two-lane corridor that forms part of the 29-mile San Bernardo Scenic Byway, connecting Chalmette to rural communities like Yscloskey and Reggio, per the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It has been the site of other fatal crashes this year: Hoodline previously reported on a fatal strike along the same highway in May, and on a fatal motorcycle crash on LA 46 in January.
The danger extends well beyond St. Bernard Parish. The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission recorded 35 bicyclist deaths and 749 injuries statewide in 2023, with alcohol contributing to nearly 17% of those fatalities. Separate research from Tramontana Law ranks Louisiana as the second-deadliest state in the nation for bicyclists, with an average fatality rate of 3.8 deaths per 1 million residents annually, a toll researchers attribute in part to narrow shoulders, high rural speed limits, and poor nighttime lighting on roads like LA 46.
Investigators have not said why Spino was on that stretch of highway or what results the toxicology testing will show. Louisiana State Police said the investigation into the crash remains open.
