| id | cleanReleaseDate | troopName | title |
| 8252 | 2017-09-27 | Troop L | Motorcyclist Killed in High Speed Crash on LA 22 |
TROOP L NEWS RELEASE September 27, 2017 Motorcyclist Killed in High Speed Crash on LA 22 Ponchatoula- Troopers from Louisiana State Police Troop L are investigating a fatal two-vehicle crash involving a motorcycle. The crash occurred on LA 22 in Tangipahoa Parish near the St. Tammany Parish line. 42-year-old Andrew Joseph Alessi of Baton Rouge was killed in the crash. At approximately 1:05 PM on Wednesday September 27, 2017, Deputies with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office received several emergency calls in reference to a motorcycle traveling westbound on LA 22 west of Mandeville. The callers described the motorcycle as traveling at a high rate of speed. The information was relayed to area law enforcement. Shortly thereafter, a patrol officer with the Madisonville Police Department observed the motorcycle traveling westbound through the city of Madisonville on LA 22. The officer’s RADAR indicated the motorcycle was traveling 123 mph in a 35 mph zone. The officer activated his emergency lights and sirens, but immediately lost sight of the motorcycle as the cyclist continued westbound on LA 22 towards Ponchatoula. At approximately 1:17 PM, Troopers were notified of a crash with injuries involving a motorcycle on LA 22 near the Tangipahoa/St. Tammany Parish line. Based on witness statements and evidence gathered at the scene, crash scene investigators determined Alessi was riding a 2012 Ducati motorcycle westbound on LA 22 at a high rate of speed. A witness informed Troopers that he observed Alessi‘s motorcycle speeding on LA 22 west, with no other vehicles in the area, in excess of 100 mph in a 55 mph zone. A 2016 Dodge Ram driven by 53-year-old Henry J. Jacobs III of Abita Springs was in the process of making a legal right turn onto Maison La Lafitte Blvd. from LA 22 westbound. Alessi attempted to pass Jacobs’s truck on the right shoulder. After entering the shoulder, Alessi crashed into the right side of Jacobs truck and was ejected from his motorcycle. Despite wearing a DOT approved helmet, Alessi suffered severe injuries in the crash. He was transported to North Oaks Health Systems by Acadian Ambulance in critical condition. Shortly after arriving at the hospital, Alessi succumbed to injuries sustained in the crash. As part of the fatal crash investigation, Troopers obtained blood samples from Alessi. The samples will be sent to the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab for analysis. Jacobs provided Troopers with a voluntary breath sample, which showed no amount of alcohol present. The crash investigation is ongoing. Contact Information: | |||
| No attachments for this article. | |||