| id | cleanReleaseDate | troopName | title |
| 8677 | 2012-09-17 | Troop L | Impaired Driver charged in Serious Injury Crash on Interstate 12 |
| TROOP L NEWS RELEASE September 17, 2012 Impaired Driver charged in Serious Injury Crash on Interstate 12 Lacombe, LA- Following a severe injury crash yesterday afternoon, Troopers from Louisiana State Police Troop L have charged the suspected impaired driver and father of the two injured passengers, 36 year old Kenneth Mayfield of Mandeville, LA. The single vehicle crash took place approximately 300 feet west of the LA 434 / Lacombe exit on Interstate 12 and resulted in the severe injuries of a 10 year old male and an 8 year old female passenger. Troopers’ investigation revealed that the crash occurred as Mayfield was traveling west in the left lane of I-12 in a 2003 Chevrolet pickup truck. As Mayfield continued westbound, he failed to maintain control of the pickup leading it to drift off the left side of the paved roadway. Upon entering the grass median, Mayfield overcorrected to the right causing the Chevrolet to reenter the roadway and cross both westbound lanes before running off road on the north side of the interstate. After leaving the roadway for the second time, the Chevrolet pickup truck impacted a large tree with its left front corner and came to rest in the tree line on the north side of Interstate 12. The two juvenile passengers in the single cab Chevrolet pickup were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash. Both passengers sustained serious injuries in the crash and were transported to the LSU University Medical Center in New Orleans, LA. Mayfield was not wearing a seatbelt and was also transported to the LSU University Medical Center with moderate injuries. Investigating Troopers suspect drug impairment to have been a factor in the crash. The results of a toxicology exam are pending. Upon release from University Medical Center, Mayfield will be booked into the St. Tammany Parish Jail on charges of Reckless Operation of a Motor Vehicle, First Degree Vehicular Negligent Injuring, and DWI with Child Endangerment. Whether impaired through alcohol, drugs, or a combination of the two, the consequences of driving while impaired remain the same. Troopers and local first responders witness firsthand the devastating effects that driving while impaired and lack of proper seatbelt use has on drivers and passengers across the state each day. In addition to placing themselves in danger, a driver’s poor decisions while behind the wheel of a vehicle often times has far reaching consequences affecting far too often innocent victims. Contact Information: TFC Nick Manale Louisiana State Police Public Affairs Unit Office: (985) 893-6250 Ext:628 Nicholas.Manale@dps.la.gov www.LSP.org | |||
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