Terrible Tragedy in St. Landry Parish after Unrestrained Driver Dies in Crash

A terrible tragedy has unfolded in St. Landry Parish as officials say that a 38-year-old Plaucheville man died after a car in the opposite lane of U.S. Highway 71 tried to pass an 18-wheeler but instead slammed into Benjamin Lee Adams' car head-on.

The terrible news continues as officials with Louisiana State Police say Adams was not wearing a seat belt, and was prounounced dead at the scene by the St. Landry Parish Coroner's Office.

Louisiana State Police Spokesman Trooper Thomas Gossen says witnesses at the scene say that Adams did not have his headlights on at the time of the crash.

The person who was driving the other car was wearing a seat belt, and only had minor injuries.

As is standard procedure, Gossen says that routine toxociology samples have been taken and will be tested by officials at the state lab.

This is the 56 fatal crash that has happened in the Troop I area so far this year. There have been 63 deaths due to these crashes.

This crash happened at around 5:30 in the evening and trooper Gossen says dusk and dawn can be very tricky times as it can be even more difficult to see other drivers. He had the following to share in a press release<

According to Louisiana law, all vehicles on a roadway shall display lighted lamps (headlights) any time between sunrise and sunet, during unfavorable atmospheric conditions, and with precipitation. Parkling light or corner markers are no substitute to headlights.