LAFAYETTE, La. — A home on West Congress Street has been struck by a vehicle for the second time in 2026, prompting renewed concerns from neighbors about speeding and safety along the busy roadway.
The latest crash happened Friday when a vehicle ran off West Congress Street and crashed into the home. No one was home at the time, and no injuries were reported.
Neighbor Jason Fisher said he initially thought someone had hit his mailbox before realizing the damage was much more severe.
“I was like, ‘Oh great, somebody took out my mailbox again.’ And so I come back around, I see that it wasn't on my property, but I see the tire tracks going through my yard and then I can just follow that to see my neighbor's house; there's another hole inside of it,” Fisher said.
According to Senior Cpl. Tyler Mitcham with the Lafayette Police Department, the home has now been hit by vehicles twice this year. He said the stretch of West Congress Street experiences heavy traffic, contributing to more crashes in the area.
“This area is known to have a lot of traffic congestion, just West Congress being one of our main roads here in Lafayette. So we have seen a larger number of crashes in this area,” Mitcham said.
Fisher said he frequently witnesses speeding and near misses on the roadway, describing it as a straight stretch where drivers often accelerate.
“All the time. And I see people fly down the street. You'll hear the engines rev all the time because it's a pretty straightaway, so there's a lot of subtle street racing going on… Or you'll hear people, especially on late nights after nights out for most people, they'll be slamming all into the yellow pillars,” Fisher said.
While police said there has not been enough crash data to justify a formal speed study, Mitcham said the department plans to increase traffic enforcement in the area.
He said excessive speed remains one of the leading factors in many crashes.
“A lot of our crashes, it comes to people are driving too fast. They're in a hurry trying to get somewhere, just not planning their schedule out to where they've given themselves enough time to safely arrive somewhere,” Mitcham said.
For Fisher, the repeated crashes have changed the way he views the neighborhood and serve as a reminder of how quickly a routine drive can become dangerous.
“It really has put such an emphasis on ‘this is a real possibility, and this can happen,’ and it's happened to my neighbor, unfortunately twice now, and it could happen to me anytime,” Fisher said.
