ERIK SANZENBACH / L’Observateur / July 24, 1999

RESERVE – Three children and two adults were killed in a head-on collision between a Honda Accord and a Ford Ranger pickup truck Wednesday afternoon on I-10 between LaPlace and Gramercy.

According to Trooper Kevin Cannatella of State Police Troop B, around 3 p.m. the female driver of the Honda was traveling eastbound on I-10. Forunknown reasons she lost control of her car, went across the median and struck the westbound truck.

The force of the impact was so great the Honda was split in half. The frontsection of the Honda stayed on the roadway, while the rear was thrown into the high grass on the side of the interstate.

“The speed limit on this stretch of I-10 is 70 mph, so we had an impact of 140 mph,” Cannetella said.

Pronounced dead on the scene were Ladavia Andrus, 3 weeks old, and her mother, Katrecia Andrus, 23, from Opelousas; Allen Carlin, 4 months old, and Dejuante Castille, 2 years old, and their mother, Kimberly Carlin, 17 years old. Carlin was Andrus’ sister and lived in New Orleans.The driver of the pickup, George S. Lewis, 65, of Natchitoches, was injuredand listed in stable condition at River Parishes Hospital.

The investigation into the accident is still ongoing, but the State Police do not believe the children were strapped into the child safety seats that were found on the scene. They do not know if the adults were using theirseat belts.

It took several hours for State Police to clean up the area, and traffic, which was limited to one lane, was backed up for four miles along the westbound section of the interstate.

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