For the second day in a row, Louisiana State Troopers had the grim duty this past Friday afternoon of responding to a fatal accident just west of Franklinton. Shortly before 4:30 p.m., troopers began investigating a three-vehicle fatal crash on LA Hwy 10 near Oak Tree Road, approximately one mile west of the Highway 10-Highway 16 intersection. The crash claimed the life of 53-year-old Rose Tate, who was a resident of Thomas Cryer Road in the Richardson Community.
Tragically, it was the second fatal accident in a two-day period in the same general area west of Franklinton. Only the day before, Thursday, a woman was killed in an accident on Highway 10 just a bit to the west of the Bogue Chitto River bridge.
The initial investigation of Friday's fatal accident revealed that a Nissan Altima driven by Mrs. Tate was traveling eastbound on LA Hwy 10 while a Toyota RAV4, followed by a Toyota Sienna van, was also traveling westbound. For reasons still under investigation, Mrs. Tate lost control of her Nissan Altima, causing it to cross the center line and collide with the Toyota RAV4 in the westbound lane. After striking the RAV4, the Altima then collided with the Toyota Sienna van.
Mrs. Tate, who was not wearing a seatbelt, sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. A passenger in the Altima, also not wearing a seatbelt, sustained moderate injuries and was transported to Riverside Medical Center. The driver of the RAV4, who was properly restrained, sustained moderate injuries and was also transported to Riverside. The driver of the Toyota Sienna was uninjured. As part of the ongoing investigation, routine toxicology samples were obtained from all drivers for analysis.
While not all crashes are survivable, statistics show that 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. Properly wearing your seat belt is one of the most effective ways to save your life and reduce injuries in crashes.
