Evangeline Thruway Crash Lafayette Nov 1, 2026 Two Critical

LAFAYETTE, La. - An alleged impaired driver caused a crash on the Evangeline Thruway Sunday night, Nov. 1, 2026, leaving two people in the hospital with serious injuries.

Get our free mobile app

At 9:49 p.m. on Sunday, Lafayette Police Department officers responded to a vehicle crash with injuries in the 2000 block of NE Evangeline Thruway.

What Police Say Happened at Castille Avenue

An initial investigation revealed that a 2020 Dodge Charger was traveling northbound on the Thruway. For unknown reasons, the driver turned off his vehicle's headlights, entered the right lane, accelerated, and passed multiple vehicles. When the Dodge Charger approached the intersection of Castille Avenue, the driver disregarded a red traffic signal and entered the intersection.

At the same time, a 2019 Ford Fusion was in the left turn lane in the 2000 block of NW Evangeline Thruway. The Ford Fusion had a green turn arrow and was in the process of turning onto Castille Avenue when it was struck by the Dodge Charger.

Condition of the Victims

The driver and passenger of the Ford Fusion suffered serious injuries and were transported to a local hospital, where at last report, both were in critical condition.

The driver of the Dodge Charger has since been identified as Jaylen Lawrence, 22, of Lafayette. He suffered minor injuries and was transported to a local hospital.

Charges Against the Driver

During the investigation, officers determined that Lawrence was impaired. After being medically cleared, he was booked into the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center on the following charges:

OWI (1st Offense): 1 Count
Reckless Operation: 1 Count
Vehicular Negligent Injury: 2 Counts

The crash remains under investigation by the Lafayette Police Department Traffic Unit and this story will be updated should any new information be released.

The 10 Intersections in Lafayette That Average The Most Crashes Every Year

Why does traffic on Lafayette roads always seem to slow down on certain roads? It's probably because of a crash. Some roads have more than their fair share. But which roads have the most crashes? We took a look at the stats and created an annual average of crashes at each interchange. Here are 10 intersections in Lafayette where you're most likely to be involved in having a crash.

Gallery Credit: Bruce Mikells