Lake Charles, Louisiana - A 63-year-old Lake Charles man has died after being struck by a vehicle in a crash on Louisiana Highway 14, and the Lake Charles Police Department Traffic Division is continuing its investigation.
The Calcasieu Parish Coroner’s Office notified the Lake Charles Police Department that the pedestrian, identified as John Henry Taylor Jr., 63, of Lake Charles, died from his injuries at a local hospital, according to police.
The crash occurred on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, at approximately 11:38 a.m. in the 1000 block of LA Highway 14 (Gerstner Memorial Boulevard). Officers with the Lake Charles Police Department were dispatched to the scene following reports of a crash involving an automobile and a pedestrian.
When officers arrived, they found Taylor suffering from injuries consistent with being struck by a vehicle. Officers rendered aid at the scene until Acadian Ambulance personnel arrived. Taylor was then transported by ambulance to Lake Charles Memorial Hospital with critical injuries. Authorities later confirmed that he died at the hospital.
Police stated that standard toxicology tests were conducted on the driver involved in the incident, and the results are still pending. However, investigators reported that no suspicion of impairment was observed from the driver at the scene.
The Lake Charles Police Department emphasized that the crash remains under active investigation by its Traffic Division. No additional details, including factors that may have contributed to the incident or any potential charges, have been released at this time.
Authorities are asking the public for assistance.
- Anyone with information about this crash is asked to call the Lake Charles Police Department Traffic Division at 337-491-1311.
- Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the Lake Charles PD mobile app.
- In earlier releases, police requested that anyone with further information contact Sergeant Shaun Touchet at 337-491-1456, ext. 5428, or submit an anonymous tip through the app.
Investigators are working to piece together the events leading up to the crash on Gerstner Memorial, a busy roadway that serves as a major corridor in Lake Charles and Calcasieu Parish.