**Update** Driver Identified in Fiery Crash in Allen Parish

The driver has been identified as 58-year-old Richard Todd Fontenot of Kinder.

Original Release Kinder – On February 9, 2022, shortly before 8:15 p.m., Troopers from Louisiana State Police Troop D responded to a single-vehicle crash at the intersection of Sherman Houston Road and Kinder Cemetery Road in Allen Parish. The crash claimed the life of an unidentified driver.
The investigation revealed a Hyundai Genesis, driven by an unidentified driver, was traveling west on Sherman Houston Road. For unknown reasons, the driver failed to yield at a posted stop sign, traveled through the intersection, and struck a tree. As a result of the crash, the driver was ejected and the Hyundai became engulfed in flames.

The unidentified driver suffered fatal injuries, as a result of the crash. Positive identification is pending by the Allen Parish Coroner’s Office. Lack of seat belt use and speed are considered to be a factor. This crash remains under investigation.

Louisiana state law requires vehicle occupants to be properly restrained in all seating positions, day or night. Statistics show the chances of surviving a crash rise significantly when properly restrained but the decision not to wear a seat belt can have deadly consequences.

Speeding reduces a driver’s ability to steer safely around curves or objects in the roadway. Speeding also extends the distance necessary to stop a vehicle and can lead to a more serious collision in cases where the vehicle strikes another object.

Troop D has investigated 2 fatal crashes resulting in 2 deaths in 2022.

Contact Information:TFC Derek Senegal
Louisiana State Police
Public Affairs Section
Office: (337) 491-2519
derek.senegal@la.gov