Lincoln Parish, Louisiana - Troopers from Louisiana State Police Troop F started examining a deadly crash on US 167, south of Hamilton Road, on Saturday, April 27, 2024, just before 1:00 p.m. The crash resulted in the death of Russell Croxton, a 51-year-old resident of Dubach, Louisiana.
Officer Russell Croxton was conducting a traffic stop with a 2014 Ford Explorer. Croxton's police vehicle, a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado fully marked with police insignia, was stopped behind the Ford in the right northbound lane of US 167 with its emergency lights on.
Officer Croxton was outside his vehicle speaking to the driver of the Ford when a 2022 Peterbilt commercial motor vehicle driven by Michael Sutterfield collided with the Chevrolet. Sutterfield failed to yield to the Chevrolet for unknown reasons, causing the collision. The impact caused the Chevrolet to spin to the right before the CMV hit Officer Croxton and then the Ford.
Officer Croxton was taken to a local hospital after the crash and sadly passed away. Both Sutterfield and the Ford driver were wearing their seatbelts and were unharmed. While Louisiana State Police indicated that there is no suspicion of impairment, standard toxicology tests were taken for analysis. The cause of the crash is still being looked into.
LSP wants to remind everyone to follow the "Move Over" law. When you come across an emergency vehicle with its lights on, slow down and switch lanes to allow first responders enough space to work safely. Adhering to this law will ensure the safety of first responders as they help others on the roads.
So far in 2024, Troop F has investigated 14 deadly crashes, leading to 15 fatalities.