Various Crashes Across South Louisiana Claim Multiple Lives Over the Weekend

LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) - Louisiana State Police are reporting a deadly weekend as multiple crashes claimed the lives of six people over the weekend.

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The weekend began with somber news about a teenage girl who passed away from injuries suffered in an overnight crash in Vermilion Parish. Then, a Breaux Bridge woman died in a head-on collision, two teenagers from Opelousas and Church Point died in a crash on Interstate 49, and the fatal weekend wrapped up with a Jeanerette man and a Morgan City man dying in an early Monday morning crash on Louisiana Highway 182 near LSU Bridge Road in the Jeanerette area.

Gueydan Girl Dies From Injuries Suffered in Overnight Crash in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana

VERMILION PARISH, La. (KPEL News) - Sad news to report as a 14-year-old girl from Gueydan who was injured in a crash early Saturday, July 29, passed away from those injuries over the weekend.

According to Louisiana State Police, Jaci Guidry was the passenger, and 22-year-old Justin Lee Faulk of Kaplan was the driver. Investigators say the truck he was driving crossed the center line on LA 713 and went off the road, hitting a ditch and overturning several times. Guidry was unrestrained and ejected. Two other passengers were also unrestrained and suffered serious injuries.

Troopers say the unrestrained Faulk also was over the legal limit of intoxication at the time of the crash per the results of a breath sample. He was subsequently booked into the Vermilion Parish Jail with the following charges:

• DWI 2nd offense
• 1st-degree negligent injuring (three counts)
• Careless operation
• No seatbelt
• Expired motor vehicle inspection
• Additional charges are pending for Faulk now that Guidry has passed away.

Breaux Bridge Woman Dies in Head-On Collision in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana

ST. MARTIN PARISH, La. (KPEL News) - There were two drivers impacted in a head-on crash that happened on Louisiana Highway 328 near Jervis Thibodeaux Road in St. Martin Parish early Saturday morning. One of them was wearing a seatbelt; the other was unrestrained.

The unrestrained victim, 36-year-old Kerri Lynn Barras of Breaux Bridge, was pronounced dead at the scene by the St. Martin Parish Coroner's Office after her car crossed the center line and struck an SUV head-on.

Fortunately, the other driver suffered only moderate injuries.

Investigators do say impairment is suspected on the part of Barras as blood samples from both drivers have been submitted for analysis. Charges are pending.

Did you notice the similarities in these fatal crash stories?

• Unrestrained occupants
• Impairment

Louisiana State Police want to leave this message for anyone thinking of getting into a vehicle:

Louisiana State Police would like to remind motorists to slow down, buckle up, and lessen the distractions in the vehicle. Crash forces do not care who you are or what you drive. These crashes were not accidents; these were preventable crashes. The faster you drive, the greater the risk of serious injury or death and not wearing a seat belt greatly increases that risk. Taking simple precautions such as wearing a seat belt, not getting behind the wheel impaired, and not getting in the vehicle with an impaired driver can often mean the difference between life and death.  Who is depending on you to make the right decisions behind the wheel?

It's been a tough year for Troop I investigators, who have investigated 31 fatal crashes resulting in 36 deaths. Spokesman Trooper Thomas Gossen has been to many fatal crash scenes as a law enforcement officer. He sat down with KPEL News to discuss these "preventable" crashes and shared his perspective.