A Friday night crash on eastbound I-12 near Livingston sent three people to the hospital after police said an 18-wheeler rear-ended a car and sped off without stopping. Livingston police have now arrested 26-year-old Rajat Kumar in connection with the hit-and-run, though the truck itself still has not been located.
According to wafb.com, Kumar was booked into the Livingston Parish Detention Center just before noon Monday, though the outlet Unfiltered with Kiran reported the booking happened Tuesday — the exact day has not been independently confirmed. The crash itself unfolded near mile marker 20, a stretch of interstate that Livingston officers have flagged before as a recurring trouble spot.
How the Crash Unfolded
Officers were dispatched around 9:15 p.m. Friday to eastbound I-12 near mile marker 20, per the same source's earlier report. When they arrived, they found a heavily damaged vehicle in the tree line with two occupants inside, both of whom were taken to a nearby hospital for medical evaluations and appeared to have suffered only minor injuries, police said.
Officers also found a second vehicle farther east that had been involved in the crash, and its driver was taken to a local hospital for evaluation as well. Police said an 18-wheeler rear-ended the white vehicle while traveling eastbound before fleeing. The truck was already gone by the time officers arrived, and they were unable to locate it even after canvassing the area, the report noted.
Public Tip Led to Arrest
In the days after the crash, the Town of Livingston Police Department asked the public for help identifying the missing 18-wheeler and its driver. Police now say Kumar faces a hit-and-run charge and is being held without bond. Police describe the investigation as ongoing and say additional charges may be forthcoming.
Louisiana law lists steep potential penalties for hit-and-run offenses, with statutory language reviewed via the Louisiana State Legislature describing fines of up to $5,000 and prison terms of two to 10 years, including a mandatory minimum stretch served without certain benefits. The full charging details against Kumar have not been made public.
A Stretch of Highway With a History
This was not an isolated incident for that part of I-12. WBRZ reported that Livingston officers responded to three crashes within just six hours, all on the same three-mile length of I-12, with the first happening late afternoon and resulting in minor injuries, and the second and third following back-to-back that evening with similarly minor injuries. Livingston officials attributed those crashes to weather or careless driving, according to the station.
Compounding the challenge, the Livingston Police Department has only one officer on duty at all times, WBRZ reported, and officials said the department frequently deals with problems along that same two-lane stretch near mile marker 20. A separate WBRZ account also referenced a prior multiple-vehicle crash in Livingston Parish that injured a dozen people and shut down I-12 in both directions, though it is not clear whether that incident is connected to this one.
For now, the identities and current conditions of the three people hospitalized after Friday's crash have not been released, and police have not said whether Kumar has retained an attorney. The Town of Livingston Police Department says it will continue investigating and has not ruled out filing further charges as the case develops.
