A three-year-old child died Thursday night in a car crash. She was not restrained, troopers say.
Aurora Shafer, of Leesville, died and the driver, Aurora's mother, suffered life-threatening injuries in the 9:30 p.m. crash, troopers say.
It happened in Vernon Parish, on Savage Fork Road, just west of Last Road. A 29-year-old Leesville woman was driving west, and the vehicle exited the roadway and struck a tree.
No one in the vehicle was properly restrained, troopers say. The driver suffered life-threatening injuries, and two other passengers were treated for non-life-threatening injuries; the child was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Impairment is not suspected to be a factor in this crash; however, routine toxicology samples were taken and submitted for analysis. The crash remains under investigation.
Troopers say: Buckling up is the most effective way to protect yourself during a vehicle crash. Failure to take a few seconds to buckle up can have devastating consequences. Louisiana law requires every person in a vehicle, regardless of seating position, to be properly restrained day or night. In addition, Troopers would also like to stress the importance of ensuring all child passengers are in a properly installed child safety seat. The public is encouraged to take advantage of free child seat checks, which are held at fitting stations located around the state; each LSP Troop is designated as a fitting station. For more information or to schedule a check for your child’s seat, click on the following link to contact a PIO to assist you: http://www.lsp.org/public.html
In 2022, Troop E has investigated 50 fatal crashes, resulting in 52 deaths.
