Lafayette Man Arrested Following Fatal I-55 Crash

Louisiana State Police officials have arrested a Lafayette man on a charge of negligent homicide following a series of crashes that happened on I-55 in St. John the Baptist Parish in October of 2023.

This was the day that 165 vehicles were piled up in various crash scenes along the interstate.

Investigators with LSP say they have determined that 61-year-old Ronald Britt was driving an 18-wheeler in the left lane of traffic on I-55 while approaching a section of the roadway where there was already a minor accident with a few vehicles. They say he hit a car stopped in the left lane.

That morning there was a situation involving limited visibility and Louisiana State Police investigators say Britt was driving at an unsafe speed.

Britt's Freightliner hit the back of 60-year-old James Fleming's vehicle, killing the man, and injuring his wife.

Britt is being charged with the following according to LSP:

Negligent homicide

Negligent injuring

Reckless operation

Other traffic-related offenses

Multiple vehicles were involved in crashes during the foggy weather, and Louisiana State Police officials say 8 people died due to the multiple crashes.

It was a terrible scene that unfolded that day as officials worked to determine how many fatalities there were and to make sure that the 67 people who were injured received treatment.

Here is a video of the scene from WDSU:

Investigators have determined that at least 168 vehicles were involved in the crash, and 63 individuals received injuries in the incident.

Britt was booked into the St. John the Baptist Correctional Center Tuesday afternoon.