Two 75-year-old women were killed shortly before noon last Friday when their car crossed the centerline on LA Highway 44 near Marigold Street in St. John the Baptist Parish and slammed head-on into a box truck. One woman was from Vacherie and the other from Garyville. Both died at the scene, while the truck driver walked away with minor injuries.
According to WDSU, a 2011 Toyota Corolla was traveling westbound on LA 44 when it crossed into the eastbound lane and struck the box truck head-on. Both occupants of the Corolla were properly restrained at the time of the crash, the station reported, but neither survived the impact.
Truck Driver Treated for Minor Injuries
The box truck driver was also restrained when the vehicles collided, per the same account, and suffered only minor injuries. That driver was transported to a local hospital for treatment. Louisiana State Police Troop B, which reported the circumstances of the crash, has not indicated any citations or charges stemming from the collision.
Investigators said driver impairment is not believed to be a factor in the crash, the report notes. Routine toxicology samples were nonetheless collected as part of the ongoing investigation, a standard step in fatal crash inquiries. What caused the Corolla to drift into oncoming traffic has not been disclosed.
State Police Urge Caution Behind the Wheel
In the wake of the crash, Louisiana State Police reminded motorists to avoid driving impaired, fatigued, or distracted, according to the article. The agency said simple precautions can often mean the difference between life and death on Louisiana roads.
The stretch of LA 44 near St. John the Baptist Parish has seen fatal wrecks before. In August 2023, Louisiana State Police Troop B responded to a single-vehicle crash on LA 44 near W. Third Street that killed 76-year-old Mary E. Davis of Mount Airy, a rear-seat passenger who was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a statement from the Louisiana State Police. Separately, a crash in nearby Vacherie killed a five-year-old boy from Baker and an 18-year-old from Houma, a case that WBRZ reported remains under investigation.
Friday's crash remains under investigation, and no further details about the cause have been released.
