Shortly after midnight on Friday, April 22, Troopers from State Police Troop L responded to a fatal crash on US 11 near Oak Harbor Blvd.
The crash claimed the life of a man who was using a wheelchair to cross US 11.
The initial investigation led Troopers to determine that the crash occurred as a 2014 Nissan Altima was traveling northbound on US 11. At the same time, a wheelchair user was attempting to cross the travel lanes of US 11. The wheelchair user was wearing dark clothing and utilizing a dark colored electric wheelchair with no lighting. As the wheelchair entered the northbound lane of US 11, the user was struck by the front of the Nissan Altima.
The wheelchair user was transported to a local hospital in critical condition. Shortly after arriving at the hospital, he succumbed to injuries sustained in the crash.
The driver of the Altima was properly restrained and was not injured in the crash. Impairment is not suspected by either of the involved parties.
Blood samples were collected and will be submitted to the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab and St. Tammany Parish Coroner’s Office for toxicological analysis.
According to data from NHTSA, in 2019, 6,205 pedestrians were kill and an estimated 76,000 were injured nationwide.
