Louisiana State Police say two Texas men have died after attempting to jump an open drawbridge in Calcasieu Parish.
Troopers says that around 2:00 a.m. on Friday, May 24, 2019, they responded to a single-vehicle crash on LA Hwy 384 (Big Lake Road) at the Black Bayou Bridge about 6 miles south of Lake Charles.
The crash claimed the lives of two Texas residents identified as 23-year-old Alejandro Cazares 32-year-old Roberto Alejandro Moreno.
Troopers report that the driver was traveling south on LA Hwy 384 in when he came to a pontoon bridge that was closed to vehicular traffic to allow a boat to pass on the Intracoastal Waterway. According to a witness, the passenger exited the vehicle and pushed the gate arm up. The driver then drove under the gate and picked up the passenger before proceeding towards the ramp located at the end of the bridge. After stopping briefly, the driver placed the vehicle in reverse then accelerated forward in an attempt to “jump” the ramp of the bridge. The vehicle became airborne, landed in the waterway, and sank to the bottom.
The driver was unable to exit the vehicle and the passenger was located outside of the submerged vehicle. Both were pronounced dead at the scene by the Calcasieu Parish Coroner’s Office.
The crash remains under investigation.
The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office Marine Division and the U.S. Coast Guard performed search and recovery.
