A rear-end crash on Louisiana Highway 343 just outside Duson killed a 28-year-old Abbeville woman early Saturday, and the driver accused of causing it has been booked on vehicular homicide and driving while impaired. Louisiana State Police say 40-year-old Rayne resident Shawnta Davis-Ned failed a breath test after the wreck, which happened shortly after midnight near Ridge Road in Lafayette Parish.
According to kpel965.com, a 2014 Kia Optima was traveling south on LA Highway 343 and slowing to a stop at the Ridge Road intersection when a 2011 Buick LaCrosse driven by Davis-Ned, also heading south behind the Kia, failed to slow down and struck the rear of the smaller car. The Abbeville woman behind the wheel of the Kia suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators say she was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.
Troopers administered a breath test to Davis-Ned at the scene, and the sample reportedly showed a blood alcohol concentration above Louisiana's legal limit, the station's report states. Davis-Ned was also not restrained by a seatbelt but reported no injuries from the collision. She was arrested and booked into the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center on charges that include vehicular homicide, driving while impaired on a first offense, careless operation, and failing to wear a seatbelt, per the same account.
Investigation Into the Crash Continues
A routine toxicology sample was also collected from the deceased driver and submitted for analysis, though results have not been released. The exact reason the Buick failed to slow before striking the Kia has not been determined, and Louisiana State Police say the circumstances surrounding the crash remain under investigation, the outlet notes.
Louisiana's vehicular homicide law does not require prosecutors to prove intent to cause death or serious injury. Under the statute defined by the Louisiana Legislature, the crime applies when a driver's operation of a vehicle proximately or directly causes a death under any of the law's specified conditions, including impairment. Separate statutory text indicates that a conviction carries sentencing as a crime of violence when the driver's blood alcohol concentration at the time of the offense exceeds 0.20 percent by weight.
A Deadly Pattern on Louisiana Roads
The Duson crash lands amid a broader rise in impaired-driving deaths statewide. The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission reports that alcohol-related crashes made up 26% of the state's fatal motor vehicle crashes in 2024, with 201 alcohol-impaired fatalities; by 2025, that share climbed to 27% of fatal crashes and 211 deaths.
Overall roadway fatalities in Louisiana also rose, climbing from 753 in 2024 to 766 in 2025, even as total crash injuries fell to their lowest recorded level, according to knoe.com. The same report found that seat belt usage statewide has stayed above 88% over the past two years, while motorcycle fatalities surged from 69 to 96 even as motorcycle injuries dropped 7%.
Troopers Urge Drivers to Plan Ahead
Louisiana State Police are reiterating a familiar warning following the crash: alcohol, prescription drugs, and other substances can impair a driver's abilities behind the wheel. Troopers are urging motorists to plan ahead and designate a sober driver before heading out.
Anyone with information about the crash can contact Louisiana State Police Troop I through Trooper Monique Lavergne, the agency's Public Affairs Section contact, at [email protected] or by calling the troop's office at 337-262-5880.
