L’Observateur / January 27, 1999

LAPLACE – An apparent mistake in changing lanes caused a two-vehicle accident with three injuries late Tuesday morning on Interstate 10 at the interchange with Interstate 55.

At 11:15 a.m, an 18-wheeler tanker truck was westbound on I-10 and inthe left-hand lane of the ramp turning onto northbound I-55. The driver,Charles Baker of Jackson, Miss., said he “felt something and looked in myrear-view mirror.”What happened was that a red Chevrolet Corsica, driven by Herman Lemoine, 79, of LaPlace, had apparently realized he was in the wrong lane and tried to cut back over toward I-10.

The car struck the truck’s tires, spun away, rebounded from the guard rail and flipped at least one time, ejecting the rear-seat passenger. LouisianaState Trooper Willie Verret added the ejected passenger was nearly struck by a car following, but that driver stopped in time.

Lemoine and his front-seat passenger, strapped in by seat belts, stayed in the vehicle. All three sustained moderate injuries, Verret said.The passengers’ names were not immediately available as of press time.

Baker, visibly shaken as he spoke with investigating officers, commented he was “just scared.”

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