La. State Police: Impairment suspected in crash that killed an unrestrained 18-year-old in Iberville Parish

Bayou Sorrel– Shortly after 1 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 12, troopers from Louisiana State Police Troop A began investigating a single-vehicle fatality crash on La. 75 south of J.R. Drive in Iberville Parish, Senior Trooper Bryan Lee reported. 

The crash took the life of 18-year-old Elin Colderon of Baton Rouge. 

Lee said the initial investigation by State Police revealed that the crash occurred as Colderon was traveling northbound on La. 75 in a 2002 Nissan Xterra.  

“Colderon’s vehicle ran off the right side of the roadway and struck an embankment,” the Troop A spokesman said.  “Colderon was ejected from the vehicle as it became airborne and began to overturn.”

The young Baton Rougean was unrestrained and sustained fatal injuries as a result of the crash, Lee said, and was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Iberville Parish Coroner’s Office.  

State Police suspect impairment to be a factor in this crash and a toxicology sample will be taken from Colderon for analysis.  

Impaired driving and the lack of seat belt use continue to be the leading causes of death in motor vehicle crashes in Louisiana, Lee said.  

“Troopers wish to remind motorists that all occupants of a motor vehicle must be restrained, regardless of seating position,” he continued. “While not all crashes are survivable, statistics show that the chances of surviving a crash rise significantly when properly restrained.”  

“Making good choices while in motor vehicles such as never driving while impaired, always ensuring every occupant is properly restrained and avoiding all distractions can often mean the difference between life and death,” Lee said.