| id | cleanReleaseDate | troopName | title |
| 3695 | 2012-03-01 | Troop D | Fatal crash in Beauregard Parish |
News Release – Troop D March 1, 2012 Fatal crash in Beauregard Parish DeRidder, LA – On February 29, 2012, shortly after 8:00 p.m., troopers assigned to Louisiana State Police Troop D responded to a four-vehicle crash on Louisiana Highway 112 about a mile east of U.S. Highway 171 near DeRidder that claimed the life of a Pitkin woman. The preliminary investigation revealed a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt driven by 19-year-old Cortney Cowley of DeRidder was stopped preparing to make a left turn onto a private driveway. A 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser driven by 49-year-old Rhonda Stracener of Pitkin was stopped behind the Cobalt when she was rear-ended by an eastbound 2006 Chevrolet pick-up driven by 62-year-old James Giddings of DeRidder. The force of the impact caused the PT Cruiser Stracener was driving to rear-end the vehicle in front of her and to then travel into the westbound lane of travel where she was struck by a westbound 18-wheeler driven by 26-year-old Terrance Green of Bryan, TX. Stracener suffered serious injuries and was transported to a nearby hospital where she later died. Giddings had minor injuries and the other two drivers were not injured. All drivers were wearing a seatbelt. Routine toxicology samples were obtained from the drivers and will be submitted to the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab for analysis. The crash remains under investigation and charges are pending. While the cause of this crash has not yet been determined, inattentive and distracted driving is a leading cause of crashes in our state. More information on distracted driving may be found online at www.distraction.gov. Troop D has investigated 8 fatal crashes in 2012, resulting in 9 fatalities. Contact Information: | |||
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