Monday, February 16, 2015

2 DEAD, 1 INJURED AFTER TRAIN AND TRUCK COLLIDE SOUTH OF LONGSTREET, LOUISIANA













FEBRUARY 16, 2015




LONGSTREET, DESOTO PARISH, LOUISIANA (KSLA)




Louisiana State Police have released the names of the victims who died in a crash involving a truck and a train in DeSoto Parish.




According to LSP Tpr. Matt Harris, the 2001 Dodge Ram truck was struck by the train on LA 5 just south of Longstreet just before 1 p.m. Preliminary reports suggest that the driver, 23-year-old John Watson of Centerville, LA, drove into the path of a southbound Union Pacific freight train operated by 59-year-old Kenneth Charles of Humble, TX.  The train struck the truck's driver's side door and pushed the vehicle completely off the tracks.




Authorities say Watson as well as his passengers 24-year-old Michael Ryder II of Golddonna, LA and 35-year-old Hebert Barras III of Charenton, LA were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash.  Watson and Ryder were pronounced dead at the scene by the DeSoto Parish Coroner and Barras remains in critical condition.




LifeAir was requested, but has been unable to fly due to weather.
Police say a toxicology sample was taken from Watson to be submitted for analysis but impairment is not suspected in the crash.




The wreck remains under investigation.