Last Saturday night on May 6, 2017 at approximately 10:30pm, police responded to the report of a serious accident on Route US 61 at Barringer Foreman Road in East Baton Rouge Parish. It is believed that two cars, including a 20-year-old driver from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, were drag racing on the southbound lanes of Rt US 61. At the same time, a teenage driver was attempting to make a U-turn, and collided head on with one of the drag racing vehicles.
One of the drag racing drivers was pronounced dead at the scene. The other drag racer is unknown, as the vehicle left the scene before police arrived. The driver and a passenger in the vehicle attempting to make the turn both suffered from serious injuries. It was undetermined whether alcohol played a role in the accident, but toxicology reports are ongoing from both drivers.
This story should serve as yet another painful reminder that an accident can happen to anyone, at any time. This young man and his passenger were innocently travelling on the roads and due to no presumed fault of his own, but rather a negligent driver who decided to use the roads as an informal race track, both suffered serious injuries.
If you or someone you love has been involved in a serious car accident and suffers from injuries, you may be entitled to compensation. This may include both pain and suffering as well as lost wages and money for medical expenses and rehabilitation costs.
Source: KATC 3, “Drag racing in East Baton Rouge Parish leads to fatal crash,” By Jordan Lippincott, May 6, 2017