Suspected Impairment, Speed, and Lack of Seat Belt Usage Factors in Fatal Crash
Oberlin – On August 14, 2022, shortly after 1:45 a.m., Troopers from Louisiana State Police Troop D was notified of a single-vehicle fatal crash on Reeds Bridge Road west of US Hwy 165 in Allen Parish. The crash claimed the life of 36-year-old Edwin A. McDaniel of Oakdale.
The preliminary investigation revealed, a 2014 Nissan Titan, driven by McDaniel, was traveling east on Reeds Bridge Road when he failed to negotiate a right hand curve. The Nissan traveled off the roadway, down an embankment, and overturned several times.
McDaniel was not properly restrained and was partially ejected. He sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The front seat passenger was not restrained and sustained minor injuries.
A toxicology sample was obtained from McDaniel and will be submitted for analysis. This crash remains under investigation.
Motorists must be reminded that alcohol and other drugs have many effects on the body. Alcohol and other drugs can impair visual ability, alter sense of time and space, impair fine motor skills needed to operate a motor vehicle, and decrease reaction times. Just one drink may cause these effects. Motorists are encouraged to plan ahead and designate a sober driver. Not doing so can have deadly consequences.
Properly wearing your seat belt will dramatically reduce your chance of being injured or killed in a crash. Louisiana law requires that every person in a vehicle, regardless of seating position, always remain buckled up. Not wearing a seat belt remains the leading cause of death in motor vehicle crashes.
Speeding reduces a driver’s ability to steer safely around curves or objects in the roadway, extends the distance necessary to stop a vehicle, and increases the distance a vehicle travels while the driver reacts to a situation. Speeding and other aggressive driving behaviors are among the leading causes of highway crashes.
Troop D has investigated 16 fatal crashes resulting in 18 deaths in 2022.
Contact Information:
TFC Derek Senegal
Louisiana State Police
Public Affairs Section
Office: (337) 491-2466
