A teen is dead and a Houma man is in jail after a crash on U.S. 90 sent an SUV over the side of the elevated part of the highway.
Lebis Adonal Aguilar, 19, of Houma, died in the accident.
State Police were called to the elevated part of U.S. 90 eastbound near Amelia at about 3 p.m. on Thursday.
He was a passenger in the SUV, which was being driven by Juan Ramos, 50, of Houma. Troopers say Ramos was driving at a high rate of speed, and approached a pick-up truck that was towing a trailer. Ramos didn't slow down, but swerved to avoid a collision, troopers say. He then overcorrected, and the SUV rotated, side-swiping the pick-up. Ramos' SUV then hit the railing and went over it, landing on its roof on the ground below.
Aguilar died at the scene, troopers say. Ramos suffered serious injuries and was transported to a New Orleans area hospital for treatment. Seatbelt use is unknown at this time for the occupants of the SUV. The driver of the pick-up was properly restrained at the time of the crash and was uninjured.
While at the hospital, Troopers determined Ramos to be impaired and arrested him for Driving While Impaired, Vehicular Homicide, Careless Operation, and Driver Must Be Licensed. A toxicology sample was collected from Ramos and submitted for analysis. The driver of the pick-up was determined not to be impaired and voluntarily submitted a breath sample which showed no alcohol detected. This crash remains under investigation.
Nearly half of the fatal crashes in Louisiana are caused by impaired drivers. Alcohol and other drugs affect your visual ability, fine motor skills, and reaction times. Drivers should have a plan for a safe ride home before consuming any alcohol and/or drugs because if you feel different, you drive differently
Troop C has investigated 46 fatal crashes resulting in 50 deaths in 2022.
