| id | cleanReleaseDate | troopName | title |
| 8524 | 2009-02-12 | Troop L | One of Four Fatal Crashes That Claimed Four Lives in Tangipahoa Parish Wednesday Night |
| LOUISIANA STATE POLICE COURTESY LOYALTY SERVICE Colonel Michael D. Edmonson, Superintendent TROOP L- NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release Date: February 12, 2009 One of Four Fatal Crashes That Claimed Four Lives in Tangipahoa Parish Wednesday Night One of the most deadly nights happened in Tangipahoa Parish last night, within about a five-hour period. Troop L investigated four fatal crashes where four lives were lost. Alcohol usage was apparent in three of the four crashes, the fourth is unknown at this time, and blood was obtained and will be sent to the Louisiana State Police Crime to be analyzed for the presence of alcohol. Lack of seat belt usage also played a major role in two of the fatal crashes. Yesterday, at 9:15 PM, Louisiana State Police Troop L investigated a two-vehicle crash that resulted in the death of a Springfield resident. A 1987 Toyota pickup, driven by Lee P. Yarborough III (W/M/Age 19) of Tickfaw, LA, was traveling eastbound on LA 1064, behind an unknown vehicle. A bicycle, driven by Patrick L. O’Neal II (W/M/Age 38) of Springfield, LA, was traveling westbound on LA 1064. Yarborough began to pass the vehicle that he was following and as his vehicle traveled upon the westbound lane of travel and struck the bicycle head on. The crash occurred upon a bridge, causing the bicycle rider to be ejected and thrown from the bridge. The driver of the Toyota pickup, Lee P. Yarborough III, was not injured in the crash. Alcohol usage was a factor in the crash; Yarborough, submitted to a chemical breath test and was found to be over the legal limit for his age. Yarborough was charged and booked into the Amite Parish Jail on the following charges, Improper Passing (R.S.32:75), Underage Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated (R.S.14:98.1) and Vehicular Homicide (R.S.14:32.1). The driver was wearing his seat belt at the time of the crash. The Driver of the bicycle, Patrick L. O’Neal II, was pronounced dead at the scene by Investigator Steve Wells of the Tangipahoa Parish Coroner’s Office, due to injuries sustained in the crash. The rider was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. The first crash happened earlier in the evening when a vehicle traveling on CC Road at the intersection of LA 22, failed to stop for a stop sign and impacted a ditch. The driver exited his vehicle, walked onto LA 22 to flag down help and was struck by an unknown light colored pickup. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene, due to injuries sustained in the crash. The second crash occurred on LA 1249 at its intersection of LA 22, when a Ford pickup failed to stop at the intersection and impacted the ditch embankment on the south side of LA 22. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene due to injuries sustained in the crash. The third happened when a Chevrolet pickup traveling at a high rate of speed lost control in a curve on LA 10. The pickup traveled off the roadway impacting a large tree and ejecting the driver, due to lack of seat belt usage. Louisiana State Police would like to stress the importance of seat belt use and avoiding alcohol consumption when driving a motor vehicle. These simple tips could have prevented the needless tragedies experience by the Tangipahoa Parish community last night. Seat belts save lives, it takes approximately two seconds to buckle up, and by doing this one simple thing, it could mean the difference between life and death. To read the press releases mentioned in their entirety, please visit the Louisiana State Police website at www.lsp.org. Contact Information: S/T Louis Calato Public Affairs Unit Louisiana State Police – Troop L Office: (985) 893-6250 Louis.Calato@dps.la.gov www.LSP.org | |||
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