Two Lafayette residents died and four other people were injured early Wednesday in a crash on Interstate 49.
State Police say Janie Hobbs, 67, and Shannon Thibodeaux, 34, both of Lafayette, died in the crash.
Troopers were called to I-49 around 2 a.m. on Wednesday, two miles north of U.S. 167.
They learned that a 64-year-old Oklahoma man was traveling south on the interstate in a pick-up truck. He came upon a car that had a flat tire and a tow truck that had come to help the driver. The tow truck and car were parked on the shoulder of the highway.
But the pick-up truck left the highway and slammed into the car, pushing it into the tow truck. Thibodeaux, who was the tow truck operator, was hit. The driver of the car also was hit.
Thibodeaux and Hobbs, who was a passenger in the car, both died at the scene. The driver of the car, along with two other people in the car, suffered moderate to severe injuries, troopers say. They were taken to the hospital will the pick-up truck driver, who also was injured.
Charges against the pick-up driver are pending, Troopers say. This crash remains under investigation.
Troopers say: "Safe driving is paramount for the safety of yourself and others on the roadway. Always obey speed limits and follow traffic rules to minimize the risk of crashes. Avoid distractions like texting or using your phone and never drink or consume drugs and drive. Drive as if your life, and the lives of others, depends on it because it does."
Troop I has investigated 12 fatal crashes resulting in 13 deaths in 2024.
