Tragic, Deadly End After Crash Thanksgiving Evening in Acadiana

A Lafayette man is dead after troopers from Louisiana State Police say his truck impacted the back of an 18-wheeler on Highway 90 eastbound near Ross Road. Louisiana State Police Troop I Spokesman Trooper Thomas Gossen says 36-year-old Wilford Henry died Thanksgiving evening in Iberia Parish due to the crash. His passenger was not injured and neither was the driver of the 18-wheeler.

So, what happened? Why did Henry's truck rear-end the 18-wheeler? Troopers say the investigation into the crash is continuing, and they do not have an answer for that question at this time. What they have determined is that at the time of the crash Henry was speeding. Gossen says that Henry was not wearing his seat belt. His passenger was wearing a seat belt. The passenger had moderate injuries and was taken to a hospital.

Trooper Gossen says that a routine toxicology sample was taken from Henry, and it will be analyzed to determine if something he had taken could be a factor in what caused the crash. They do say the driver of the 18-wheeler showed zero signs of being impaired, and he did take a breathalyzer test that showed he was not impaired. The 18-wheeler driver was wearing a seat belt, and he was not hurt.

Gossen says it's another death that has been recorded this year. The statistics show that Troop I (the Acadiana area) has recorded 65 deaths this year as the result of 54 fatal crashes for 2021. Gossen reminds drivers that it only takes seconds to become a distracted driver, and those few seconds can lead to fatal consequences.

Gossen has the following advice for drivers:

Always making driving your number one priority behind the wheel

Don't ever drive when you are impaired

Make sure to always wear your seat belt and don't ride with anyone who won't

Never drive when you're tired

He adds doing these things can be the difference between arriving at your destination safely, or not ever going home again.