| id | cleanReleaseDate | troopName | title |
| 3100 | 2016-02-16 | Troop D | Collision with Train Leaves One Person Dead and Another Injured |
TROOP D NEWS RELEASE February 16, 2016 Collision with Train Leaves One Person Dead and Another Injured JEFFERSON DAVIS PARISH, LA – One person is dead and another was injured after a vehicle traveled into the path of a train this morning in rural Jefferson Davis Parish 2 ½ miles west of Welsh. This morning at 9:12 a.m., Louisiana State Police Troop D responded to a crash between a train and a vehicle at a railroad crossing on Oilfield Road about ½ mile south of Interstate Highway 10. The preliminary investigation revealed a 2006 Nissan Sentra driven by 69-year-old Donna Daigle of Iowa, Louisiana, was traveling south on Oilfield Road approaching a railroad crossing. Daigle drove partially onto the crossing and stopped. The Nissan was then struck by a westbound freight train causing the vehicle to rotate off of the track into a utility pole. Daigle was pronounced dead at the scene by the Jefferson Davis Parish Coroner’s Office. A passenger in the vehicle, 43-year-old Kami Daigle of Iowa, Louisiana, received moderate injuries and was transported by air ambulance to Lafayette General Medical Center. Both occupants were wearing a seat belt. Oilfield Road is a lightly traveled gravel road in a farming area. The railroad crossing was properly marked by railroad cross bucks and stop signs. A routine toxicology sample was obtained from Donna Daigle and will be submitted for analysis. The crash remains under investigation. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), three out of four crashes occur within 25 miles of a driver’s home, and half occur within five miles of their home. A comparison of statistics from NHTSA and the Federal Railroad Administration reveals a motorist’s collision with a train is far more likely to result in a fatality than a collision between two motor vehicles. Motorists are always encouraged to “see tracks, think train.” The Louisiana State Police is a staunch advocate of Operation Lifesaver, an international, non-profit education and awareness program dedicated to ending tragic collisions, fatalities, and injuries at highway-rail grade crossings and on railroads’ rights of way. To request a free educational program for your group, please contact the nearest Louisiana State Police public information officer (contact information available www.LSP.org) or Louisiana Operation Lifesaver State Coordinator Claude Maher at 225-921-8381 or via email at operationlifesaver@la.gov. More information is also available on the Louisiana Operation Lifesaver web site at http://www.laoperationlifesaver.org. Troop D has investigated 4 fatal crashes resulting in 6 deaths this year. Contact Information: Sgt. James Anderson Louisiana State Police Public Affairs Section Office: (337) 491-2932 james.l.anderson@la.gov www.LSP.org www.facebook.com/LouisianaStatePolice | |||
| No attachments for this article. | |||