73-year-old Louisiana Driver Killed and Another Injured in 2-Vehicle Crash on US 165

Caldwell Parish, Louisiana – A two-vehicle collision on U.S. Highway 165 in Louisiana on December 22 resulted in the death of a 73-year-old Louisiana resident and injured another driver. The cause of the collision is under investigation.

Thursday, December 22, 2022, at about 2:50 p.m., LSP Troop F responded to a two-vehicle collision on U.S. Highway 165 north of LA Highway 843, according to the Louisiana State Police. This collision took the life of Sherry M. Bates, 73, of Kelly, Louisiana.

The early investigation found that a 2013 Ford F250 driven by 30-year-old Cody Culpepper from Columbia was following a 2015 Ford Explorer driven by Bates while traveling north on U.S. Highway 165. For circumstances that are still under investigation, Culpepper collided with the Explorer’s rear end, causing both vehicles to leave the roadway.

Bates, who was restrained, sustained life-threatening injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene by the Coroner’s Office of Caldwell Parish. Culpepper, who was not restrained, had injuries that were not life-threatening. Despite the absence of suspicion of impairment, regular toxicological samples were submitted for processing. This incident is still under investigation.

Louisiana State Police indicated that buckling up is the most effective method of protection during a collision. Failure to take a few seconds to fasten one’s seatbelt can have catastrophic effects. Day or night, Louisiana law mandates that everyone in a vehicle, regardless of sitting position, must be securely restrained.

Trooper F has investigated 31 catastrophic crashes resulting in 34 fatalities so far in 2022.