A recent accident has Louisiana State Police investigating the cause of a two-vehicle crash that claimed the life of a 64-yeaar-old Pioneer woman. Reports state that the woman’s vehicle was struck by an 18-wheeler as she turned into a private drive. She was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital following the fatal truck accident.
Initial claims reveal that her 1995 Buick Lesabre was struck on the passenger side as she attempted to enter into a driveway late one evening. The driver of the 18-wheeler is not suspected of being under the influence of alcohol; however, a toxicology analysis has been ordered and results are expected to shed more light on the cause into this terrible truck accident. Many factors could have been in play during this accident, yet reports as of yet have not revealed any definitive information.
The woman driving the Buick Lesabre was not wearing her seatbelt and sustained fatal injuries. She died later at the hospital where she was being treated. The 18-wheeler driver was wearing his seatbelt and uninjured. Further investigation will determine if any liability will fall on the behalf of the truck driver, if criminal charges will be filed and if this tragedy could have been avoided.
The family of the woman killed will want to know the cause and may seek compensation if the truck accident was caused by the negligence of a party other than the victim. Louisiana State Police have responded to and investigated 19 deaths this year alone, resulting from over a dozen crashes. Accidents involving large trucks are typically more serious for anyone in smaller vehicles, as this accident demonstrates. The surviving family will likely assess the facts once an investigation is complete in order to determine their rights under Louisiana law.
Source: The News Star, “Fatal crash reported in West Carroll Parish,” Sept. 4, 2012