| id | cleanReleaseDate | troopName | title |
| 959 | 2008-08-22 | Troop A | Arrest Made in Triple Fatality on Interstate 12 |
| LOUISIANA STATE POLICE COURTESY LOYALTY SERVICE Colonel Michael D. Edmonson, Superintendent TROOP A- NEWS RELEASE Arrest Made in Triple Fatality on Interstate 12 BATON ROUGE- On Thursday, August 21, 2008, Louisiana State Police – Troop A arrested James C. Lane (W/M, 40 yrs old) in connection with the fatal crash that occurred on July 29, 2008 which claimed the lives of three family members on Interstate 12. After an extensive and complex investigation, troopers were able to determine Lane, who was operating a 2007 Mack tandem-trailer cargo truck for Waste Management, struck the rear of a 2007 Chevrolet Van, driven by Ruth Fort. The resulting impact forced Fort‘s van into the rear of a 1999 Chevrolet Van, driven by Phillip Van Alstine. Van Alstine‘s van was then forced into the rear of an International 18-wheeler, driven by Jeffrey Baker. All four vehicles were in the eastbound right lane of Interstate 12. The impact during this crash caused Van Alstine’s van to separate from the body and frame. The body of the van rotated 180 degrees and came to rest in the left lane. Shyla Van Alstine and Haylie Van Alstine, passengers in the van, were pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the van, Phillip Van Alstine was transported to Our Lady of the Lake Hospital, were he was later pronounced dead. A fourth passenger, a 4- year old juvenile who was not ejected, was transported to Our Lady of the Lake Hospital with critical injuries. Ruth Fort, the driver of the 2007 Chevrolet van, was transported to Ochnser Medical Center with moderate injuries. The two truck drivers were not injured Preliminary information and conflicting witness statements initially indicated a different sequence of events caused this crash. Further intensive investigation led troopers to obtain a search warrant to retrieve information from the vehicle data recorder located in the 2007 Mack tractor-trailer owned by Waste Management. Based on information collected from the data recorders of the Mack truck and the two vans, additional witness interviews, and evidence collected from the vehicles and from the crash scene, troopers were able to determine Lane was responsible for causing this crash. An arrest warrant was obtained and Lane was subsequently arrested and booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on three counts of Negligent Homicide, two counts of Negligent Injury and one count of Reckless Operation of a Motor Vehicle. Alcohol is not considered to be a factor in this crash. For more information contact: Lt. M. Doug Cain, II Public Affairs Unit Louisiana State Police Office: (225) 925-6202 Doug.cain@dps.la.gov www.lsp.org | |||
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