Two Grant Parish Residents Killed in Grant Parish Crash, Impairment Suspected

TROOP E NEWS RELEASE

November 9, 2023

Grant Parish – On November 8, 2023, at approximately 5:15 p.m., Louisiana State Police Troop E responded to a one-vehicle crash on Louisiana Highway 492 at Nellie Ryan Road. The crash claimed the lives of 21-year-old Joseph Roy Lee Mabou of Dry Prong and 21-year-old Morgan Chance Durand of Pollock.

The initial investigation revealed that a 2020 Ford F-150, driven by Mabou, was traveling south on Louisiana Highway 492. For reasons still under investigation, Mabou’s vehicle left the roadway, vaulted into the air and ejected both passengers.

Mabou and Durand, who both were unrestrained, sustained fatal injuries and were pronounced dead at the scene. Impairment is a suspected factor in this crash. Routine toxicology samples were obtained and submitted for analysis. This crash remains under investigation.

Louisiana State Police would like to remind all motorists that if you feel differently, you drive differently. Alcohol, prescription drugs, and other drugs have many effects on the body that negatively affect driving skills. These drugs can impair visual ability, alter the sense of time and space, impair fine motor skills needed to operate a motor vehicle, and decrease reaction times. Motorists are encouraged to plan ahead and designate a sober driver. Not doing so can have deadly consequences.

While not all crashes are survivable, proper use of seat belts can greatly decrease an occupant’s chance of death and may greatly reduce the extent of injury. Always ensuring every occupant is properly restrained can often mean the difference between life and death.

In 2023, Troop E has investigated 48 fatal crashes, resulting in 53 deaths.

Contact Information:

M/T Casey Wallace

Louisiana State Police

Public Affairs Section

Office: (318) 239-0912

casey.wallace@la.gov