Grant Parish, Louisiana - Louisiana State Police Troop E responded to a single-vehicle collision on Louisiana Highway 492 at Nellie Ryan Road around 5:15 p.m. on November 8, 2023. The collision resulted in the tragic deaths of Joseph Roy Lee Mabou, aged 21, from Dry Prong, Louisiana, and Morgan Chance Durand, also 21, from Pollock, Louisiana.

Initial findings indicated that Mabou was driving a 2020 Ford F-150 southbound on Louisiana Highway 492 when his vehicle veered off the road, became airborne, and ejected both occupants. Both Mabou and Durand were not wearing seatbelts and suffered fatal injuries at the scene.

Authorities suspect that impairment may have contributed to the accident. Samples were taken for routine toxicology analysis as part of the ongoing investigation.

Louisiana State Police emphasized the impact of alcohol and drugs on driving abilities, highlighting their potential to impair vision, distort perception of time and space, hinder fine motor skills necessary for operating a vehicle, and slow reaction times. Motorists were urged to plan ahead by designating sober drivers to avoid tragic outcomes resulting from impaired driving.