2 Dead After Crash In St. Mary Parish

Two men lost their lives in a crash in St. Mary Parish today.  It happened around 12:15 this afternoon when 31-year-old Luis Mota of Morgan City was driving a Ford Escort east on Highway 182.  Mota turned to go into a parking lot and was hit by a freight truck driven by 52-year-old James Hughes of Thibodeaux.

After the initial crash, both vehicles went off the road and hit three more unoccupied vehicles in the parking lot.  Hughes was wearing his seat belt and only sustained minor injuries.  However, two men in the vehicle with Mota, 58-year-old Lamberto Mota and Carlos Camacho, both of Morgan City, were killed at the scene.  Luis Mota sustained moderate injuries and was taken to the hospital.

Police say that Lamberto Mota was the only one in that particular car that was wearing a seat belt.

State Police are still investigating and said that while they didn't know if impairment was a factor in the crash, they took samples and submitted them for analysis.