Unrestrained Louisiana Man Dies in Early Morning Crash, Impairment, Speed, and Lack of Seat Belt Usage Suspected as Factors

Louisiana – According to Louisiana State Police, on August 14, 2022, soon after 1:45 a.m., Troopers from LSP Troop D were notified of a single-vehicle fatal crash on Reeds Bridge Road west of US Highway 165 in Allen Parish. Edwin A. McDaniel, 36, of Oakdale, Louisiana, died in the crash.

According to the preliminary inquiry, McDaniel was driving a 2014 Nissan Titan east on Reeds Bridge Road when he failed to navigate a right-hand curve. The Nissan went off the road, down an embankment, and overturned multiple times. McDaniel was not properly restrained and was partially ejected. He died at the scene after suffering fatal injuries. The front seat passenger was also not restrained and suffered minor injuries.

A toxicological sample was taken from McDaniel and will be analyzed. This crash is still being investigated.

Drivers should be aware that alcohol and other drugs have a variety of impacts on the body. Alcohol and other substances can impair vision, distort one’s sense of time and space, impair fine motor skills required to drive a car, and increase reaction times. These effects could be caused by just one drink. Drivers are recommended to plan ahead of time and choose a sober driver. Failure to do so can have fatal repercussions.

Wearing your seat belt correctly reduces your chances of being injured or killed in a crash. Louisiana law requires that everyone in a vehicle, regardless of seating position, wear their seat belts at all times. The most common cause of death in car accidents is not wearing a seat belt.
Speeding impairs a driver’s ability to safely steer around curves or obstructions in the road, increases the distance required to stop a vehicle, and increases the distance a vehicle travels while the driver reacts to a situation. Speeding and other aggressive driving habits are major causes of highway accidents.

So far in 2022, Troop D has investigated 16 fatal crashes that resulted in 18 deaths.