Arcadia, Louisiana – On March 3, at approximately 4:45 a.m., Troopers from Louisiana State Police Troop G responded to a single-vehicle crash on Louisiana Highway 518, near Hoodtown Road. The incident tragically claimed the life of 62-year-old Leonard Melton, a resident of Troup, Texas.
According to preliminary investigations, Melton was driving a 2019 Ford F-150 eastbound on Louisiana Highway 518 when, for reasons that remain under investigation, his vehicle exited the roadway. The truck collided with an embankment before overturning. Following the crash, the Ford F-150 caught fire and became engulfed in flames.
Rescue personnel found Melton at the scene, where he sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased. The use of a seatbelt during the incident is currently unknown. Although authorities do not suspect impairment as a factor in the crash, toxicology samples have been collected and will be analyzed to confirm this assessment.