| id | cleanReleaseDate | troopName | title |
| 697 | 2009-04-02 | Troop A | Reckless Operation a Factor in Motorcycle Fatality |
| LOUISIANA STATE POLICE COURTESY LOYALTY SERVICE Colonel Michael D. Edmonson, Superintendent TROOP A - NEWS RELEASE Reckless Operation a Factor in Motorcycle Fatality BATON ROUGE – Shortly after 5:00 p.m. this afternoon on the Interstate 10 Whiskey Bay Bridge westbound in Iberville Parish near the St. Martin Parish line, a motorcycle crash claimed the life of a 30-year-old Mississippi man. Before the crash occurred, State Troopers were responding to a vehicle fire on the Interstate 10 eastbound Whiskey Bay Bridge, which had closed both eastbound lanes to traffic. A responding Trooper was traveling westbound on Interstate 10, traveling with lights and sirens when he came upon traffic. Several vehicles yielded to the right as the Trooper approached. As the Trooper came upon an early-model Kawasaki Ninja with no license plate, rather than yielding, the motorcycle accelerated and began swerving in and out of traffic and passing on the shoulder. As the motorcycle reached the crest of the Atchafalaya Pilot Channel Bridge, the driver lost control of the motorcycle and was thrown to the pavement. The driver of the motorcycle was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Iberville Parish Coroner’s Office. Reckless Operation is considered to have been a factor in the crash. Alcohol use by the driver is unknown at this time. However, State Troopers have submitted a sample of the driver’s blood to the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab for chemical analysis. The driver’s identity is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. Troopers were assisted at the scene by Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Deputies.
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