| id | cleanReleaseDate | troopName | title |
| 3337 | 2019-03-16 | Troop D | Impaired Driver Slams into State Police Vehicle on I-210 |
TROOP D NEWS RELEASE March 16, 2019 Impaired Driver Slams into State Police Vehicle on I-210 LAKE CHARLES – An illegal alien has been arrested for DWI second offense and other charges after he drove into the back of a Louisiana State Police vehicle in an active work zone this morning. On March 16, 2019, at 5:30 a.m., Louisiana State Police Troop D responded to a two-vehicle crash on I-210 Westbound, east of the I-210 Bridge, in an active work zone. The preliminary investigation revealed a fully marked State Police Chevrolet Tahoe was parked on the shoulder of I-210 with emergency lights activated while the Trooper was working a traffic safety detail. A 2005 Toyota Tacoma pickup, driven by 26-year-old Edwin Alexis Melgar Cardona, veered from the inside lane of travel to the outside lane then shoulder before driving into rear of the Tahoe. Melgar Cardona was transported to an area hospital with minor injuries. The Trooper was not seriously injured. Throughout the process, Melgar Cardona was uncooperative, provided fictitious names, and possessed fake identification. Through investigative means, Troopers determined his actual identity. Upon release from the hospital, Melgar Cardona was booked into the Calcasieu Parish Correctional Center for DWI second offense, careless operation of a motor vehicle, no driver’s license, operating a motor vehicle without lawful presence in the United States, possession of fraudulent documents for identification purposes, and resisting an officer by providing a false identity. Additionally, it was determined that Melgar Cardona is a fugitive from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. A detainer has been placed on Melgar Cardona by federal authorities and additional charges are possible. Agents with the U.S. Border Patrol assisted with the incident. | |||
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