White Castle man seriously injured in violent wreck on La. 1 south of Plaquemine
A 28-year-old White Castle man was seriously injured when the vehicle he was in slammed into an 19-wheeler at the railroad crossing between Plaquemine and White Castle.
The Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office (IPSO) received the 911 call reporting the wreck at 11:17 a.m. Friday involving an 18-wheeler tanker carrying hazardous materials that had been slammed into by a late model Toyota Camry sedan, said Lt. Chris Couty.
“The Toyota had apparently rear-ended a tanker trailer carrying hazardous material,” he said, necessitating the investigation be handled by the Louisiana State Police.
“There was some serious injuries to the front seat passenger,” Couty said, and the driver Jerred Thomas, 29, of Donaldsonville was mildly injured and a toddler that was not believed to be properly restrained at the time of the violent crash was uninjured.
The passenger was airlifted to Our Lady of the Lake Medical Center, the lieutenant continued, while the child was transported to Oschner Regional Medical Center just down the highway, “mostly as a precaution.”
Thomas, who is believed to have slammed into the 18-wheeler at a high rate of speed, was arrested and charged with one count each of driving under suspension, reckless operation and negligent injuring.
In addition to several ISPO units responding to the accident, Couty said the Plaquemine Fire Department, Louisiana State Police Troop A, Transportation and Hazardous Materials and Acadian Ambulance also were called to the scene.
Due to the presence hazardous material being carried by 18-wheeler and the severity of the injuries of the front passenger’s injuries, the State Police kept the area secure for several hours after the accident, he continued.
Couty said Friday’s accident was the second serious wreck at the railroad crossing in recent history and the previous wreck was deadly.
He said Sheriff Brett Stassi would like to remind drivers that 18-wheelers carrying hazardous materials and buses with passengers are required to stop at all railroad crossings by Louisiana state law, so they should drive cautiously when approaching a railroad crossing.
“Failing to remain vigilant at those railroad crossings can lead to the death of a loved one,” Stassi said.