Aggrostats

June 12, 2011

Speed and No Seat Belt are Factors in Richland Parish Fatal Crash

Excessive speed and no seat belt use are factors in a fatal crash investigated by troopers in Richland Parish.

Troop F Troopers responded to the crash last night at about 9:20 pm. The investigation revealed that a 2006 Nissan truck was, apparently, drag racing another vehicle westbound on LA 855 in Richland Parish. After the race,the driver of the Nissan lost control of his vehicle and ran off the road and into a residential yard. The truck then struck a tree stump in the yard and became airborne. The unrestrained driver was ejected from the vehicle in the crash.

The driver, identified as 35-year-old James E. McDowell from Delhi, was pronounced dead at the scene by the Richland Parish Coroner's Office. Impairment is not suspected, but routine toxicology tests are pending.

Failure to properly wear a seat belt remains one of the leading causes of death and serious injury in Louisiana crashes. While not all crashes are survivable, the best way to protect yourself is to properly wear your seat belt. Insist that all passengers wear their seat belts and always properly restrain children.


In 2011, Louisiana State Police Troop F Troopers have investigated seventeen (17) fatal crashes resulting in eighteen (18) deaths.

Contact Information,
Trooper First Class Mark Dennis
Louisiana State Police
Troop F Public Affairs
Office: (318)345-2810