Crash after cross over center line kills 1 in Beauregard Parish

We never know with certainty what each day will bring. Many of us go to work, drive home and go out to dinner or someplace else. Most of the time, those activities take place without a hitch, but the simple fact is we cannot always control what happens. A recent Louisiana fatal accident on U.S. 190 underscores the point.

Authorities say a car operated by a 59-year-old man from Dequincy was headed eastbound on 190 in Beauregard Parish Oct. 19 around 9 a.m. For reasons not yet clear, the vehicle veered over the center line and struck a vehicle driven by a 71-year-old man from Llano, Texas head on.

Also in the second car was a 71-year-old woman, and though reports did not identify the family relation between the two, they shared the same last name. The female passenger was killed in the accident. Reports we’ve seen about the incident don’t say if either driver suffered any injuries.

Louisiana authorities have cited the Dequincy man for driving left of center. They indicate that they suspect he fell asleep at the wheel of his vehicle. Toxicology reports, which are typically ordered when a fatal accident occurs, are pending. It’s possible other charges could be forthcoming depending on the results of those tests.

As the official investigation into the fatal accident continues, the family of the woman killed may wish to consider what legal rights it has under Louisiana law regarding obtaining compensation for their pain and suffering. When someone dies due to negligent or intentional acts of another, our law permits claims for wrongful death. Compensation may be provided by the court for damages and the expenses incurred by the family as a result of the accident.

Source: WAFB-TV, “Head-on crash in Beauregard Parish leaves 1 dead,” The Associated Press, Oct. 20, 2012