Sorrento, Louisiana - On July 22, 2024, shortly after 6:00 a.m., Louisiana State Police Troop A responded to a tragic two-vehicle crash on LA 70 at Panama Road in Ascension Parish. The incident resulted in the death of 22-year-old Jayden Lazard from Opelousas, Louisiana.

According to preliminary investigations, a 1998 GMC pickup truck driver by Lazard was traveling eastbound on LA 70 when, for reasons still being investigated, it crossed the center line and entered the westbound lane. The GMC then collided head-on with a 1999 International tractor trailer, which was traveling in the opposite direction. The force of the impact caused the GMC to veer off the roadway and into a nearby ditch.

Lazard, who was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the incident, was partially ejected from the vehicle. He sustained serious injuries and was transported to a local hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. Fortunately, the driver of the tractor trailer was properly restrained and emerged from the crash uninjured.

The investigation into the circumstances surrounding this crash is ongoing. Meanwhile, state troopers are urging motorists to practice safe driving habits. This includes refraining from driving while impaired, fatigued, or distracted, adhering to all traffic laws, and ensuring that all occupants of a vehicle are properly restrained with seatbelts.