EVANGELINE PARISH, La. — A Ville Platte man died Friday night after he was hit by an SUV while he was walking on LA 10. Louisiana State Police say the accident happened after 8:30 p.m. Christopher A. Bellard, 56, of Ville Platte died from his injuries.
Bellard was walking east in the middle of the eastbound lane and was struck by a eastbound traveling SUV.
Bellard suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the vehicle was not injured.
Impairment on the part of Bellard is unknown, and a standard toxicology sample was obtained for analysis. The driver of the vehicle was not suspected of being impaired and submitted a breath sample, which showed no alcohol present.
Toxicology results are pending, and this crash remains under investigation.
While nearly 70 percent of pedestrian fatalities occur at night, troopers urge pedestrians to always maintain heightened awareness while walking near the road. Simple precautions such as wearing reflective materials, avoiding distractions, not walking too close to roadways, and walking against traffic flow could prevent most pedestrian-related crashes.
Troop I has investigated 41 fatal crashes resulting in 46 deaths since the beginning of 2023.
