67-Year Old Lafayette Bicyclist Dead After Friday Night Crash

LAFAYETTE (KPEL News) - A bicyclist riding down the highway Friday night was tragically struck and killed.

67-year-old Paul Gerald Mouton was riding down Louisiana Highway 94 late Friday night, but did not have a rear reflector and was wearing dark clothing when a 2002 Chevy Malibu struck his bicycle.

Mouton was ejected from the bicycle and was pronounced dead at the scene by the Lafayette Parish Coroner's office. There is a toxicology test pending.

The driver of the Malibu was properly restrained and not injured, according to a statement from Louisiana State Police Troop I. The driver did submit to a blood test, which showed she was not impaired. The crash remains under investigation.

According to the state police report, Louisiana State University's Center for Analytics and Research reports there were 638 bicycles involved in crashes and 532 people were injured or killed in Louisiana in 2021. Louisiana law requires bicycles to be equipped with brakes, lights (at night) white on the front and red on the rear.

Troop I has investigated 49 fatal crashes resulting in 55 deaths in 2022.