Claiborne Parish, Louisiana - A single-vehicle crash on August 3 claimed the life of a Homer resident along Louisiana Highway 2 in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, according to Louisiana State Police. The victim, identified as 68-year-old Michael Coleman, of Homer, Louisiana, was pronounced dead at the scene after his 2000 Oldsmobile Alero left the road near Liberty Hill Road, traveled down an embankment, and struck a tree just after 2 p.m. Authorities report Coleman was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the incident.

Investigators are still determining what caused the vehicle to exit the roadway, but they have stated that impairment is not currently suspected. As is standard procedure, toxicology samples were collected for analysis.

Unrestrained vehicle occupants have consistently high fatality rates in Louisiana.