Desoto Parish – On April 20, 2021, at approximately 5:00 p.m., Louisiana State Police Troop G responded to a two-vehicle crash on I-49 at milepost 185. This crash claimed the life of 70-year-old Joseph W. Powell, of Marthaville.
The initial investigation revealed a Ford F150, driven by Powell, and a commercial wrecker service vehicle, towing a commercial vehicle, were traveling northbound on I-49. For reasons still under investigation, Powell failed to slow down and ultimately rear-ended the commercial vehicle which was being towed.
Powell, who was unrestrained, sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead on the scene. The wrecker driver was not injured. A toxicology sample was obtained and submitted for analysis. The crash remains under investigation.
While not all crashes are survivable, statistics show that properly wearing your seat belt will dramatically reduce your chance of being injured or killed in a crash. Louisiana law requires that every person in a vehicle, regardless of seating position, always remain buckled up. Not wearing a seat belt remains the leading cause of death in motor vehicle crashes.
In 2021, Troop G Troopers has investigated four fatal crashes resulting in four fatalities.
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