A Jennings man is dead and a passenger seriously injured after the SUV they were in collided with a truck head-on, according to Louisiana State Police.
Troopers say the two-vehicle crash happened shortly after noon, Tuesday, August 21, 2018, along LA Highway 26 just east of Oberlin. An investigation revealed that a vehicle was traveling east in a curve when the driver, 33-year-old John M. Whitaker of Jennings, crossed the centerline of the highway and struck a large commercial vehicle head-on.
Whitaker was pronounced dead at the scene by the Allen Parish Coroner’s Office, according to a release. The front seat passenger in the SUV was seriously injured and was transported by air ambulance to a hospital in Alexandria.
The driver of the truck was not injured. All vehicle occupants were wearing a seat belt.
A toxicology sample was obtained from the drivers and will be submitted for analysis. The crash remains under investigation.
