State Police have arrested a Baton Rouge man and booked him in connection with a crash on the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge that they say was staged.
William Baker, 34, was booked with staging a crash and filing false public records.
He's accused in connection with a suspected stage crash that happened on June 24 around 10 a.m. on the basin bridge near the La. 3177 intersection.
Baker was driving a passenger vehicle, and passed an 18-wheeler that was transporting liquid nitrogen gas. Troopers allege that Baker passed the other vehicle, then intentionally straddled the center line and abruptly applied his brakes - even though there was no one traveling in front of him.
This maneuver resulted in the 18-wheeler rear-ending Baker's vehicle. The rig had a dash cam, and the footage showed what happened. Baker submitted a false written statement that contradicted the video, troopers say.
Troopers say: Citizens play a vital role in identifying fraud-related crimes and are encouraged to report any suspicious activity. For more information, visit the Louisiana State Police Insurance Fraud and Auto Theft Unit at lsp.org/ifu [lsp.org]. Secure online reporting is also available through the “Suspicious Activity” link at lsp.org [lsp.org].
