A 22-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the death of a 13-year-old girl who was critically injured in a September crash on Interstate 10 near Butte La Rose and died three days later. Ezekiel Clawson was booked into the St. Martin Parish Jail on Wednesday on an outstanding warrant that includes a vehicular homicide charge, after toxicology results indicated he was impaired behind the wheel at the time of the wreck.
According to a news release from Louisiana State Police Troop I, troopers began investigating the crash on September 12 shortly after 5:30 p.m. on westbound I-10 near the Butte La Rose exit in St. Martin Parish. The collision involved a 2013 Hyundai Elantra, driven by Clawson, and a 2020 Ram ProMaster. As reported by EIN Presswire, the Hyundai traveled from the left lane into the right lane, struck a concrete barrier, and then struck the rear of the Ram.
Unrestrained Passengers, an Unsecured Car Seat
Troop I's account of the crash details a chain of safety failures inside the Hyundai. Clawson and three additional passengers were unrestrained and were transported to an area hospital, while an infant passenger was seated in a child safety seat that was not properly secured to the vehicle, per the agency's release. A 13-year-old passenger was also unrestrained and suffered critical injuries; she was transported to an area hospital for treatment.
The driver of the Ram, by contrast, was properly restrained and reported no injuries, and that driver submitted a voluntary breath test that detected no alcohol, the release states. The 13-year-old girl succumbed to her injuries on September 15, three days after the crash, the news release notes.
Impairment Status Changed as Investigation Continued
At the time of the initial investigation on September 12, Clawson's impairment status was listed as unknown, according to the release. Troopers collected a standard toxicology sample from him for analysis, and the results that followed indicated that Clawson was impaired at the time of the crash, the agency said.
Armed with those results, troopers obtained an arrest warrant for Clawson through the 16th Judicial District Court. The warrant includes charges of vehicular homicide, first-degree vehicular negligent injuring, vehicular negligent injuring, reckless operation of a vehicle, three counts of child passenger restraint violations, no seatbelt, and first-offense DWI with child endangerment, per the release. Clawson was arrested and booked into the St. Martin Parish Jail on Wednesday on the outstanding warrant. The crash remains under investigation, according to KLFY.
What Louisiana Law Requires for Child Passengers
Louisiana law requires children from birth to at least age 2 to ride rear-facing in an infant or convertible child safety seat, and requires children younger than 13 to ride in the rear seat when available and remain properly restrained, according to the Troop I release. Separately, the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission states that children under age 6 or weighing less than 60 pounds must use an age- and size-appropriate child restraint or booster seat, while children ages 6 through 12 must use a seat belt or an appropriate child safety or booster seat, per the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission.
Getting those seats installed correctly is its own challenge. The commission estimates that 96 percent of all child restraints are installed incorrectly, though the state has more than 700 nationally certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians available to help parents get it right, the commission says on its website dedicated to child passenger safety. Every Louisiana State Police troop also offers free assistance with proper child restraint installation at its child safety seat fitting station, according to the Troop I release.
Louisiana State Police is urging motorists to drive responsibly and never drive impaired, the agency said in its release. Anyone with information can contact Trooper Monique Lavergne of the Louisiana State Police Public Affairs Section for Troop I at 337-262-5880 or [email protected].
