Merryville, Louisiana - Louisiana State Police Troop D started investigating a deadly single-vehicle crash near the crossing of US Hwy 190 and Ball Park Road in Beauregard Parish on April 19, 2024, around 6:30 p.m. The crash resulted in the death of James Vaughn Patterson III, a 31-year-old from Huntington, Texas.
The first investigation showed that a 2005 Ford F150 pickup truck, which was being driven by Patterson, was heading west on US 190. For reasons that are not known, the truck crossed over into the opposite lane and then veered off the road on the left side. After going off the road, the truck went a short distance before hitting a tree.
Patterson was wearing a seatbelt but suffered severe injuries that led to his death at the crash site. A sample for toxicology testing was taken and will be examined. The cause of the crash is still being investigated.
So far in 2024, Troop D has investigated four deadly crashes that led to the deaths of four individuals.