By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – Authorities with Louisiana State Police said a truck driver who fell asleep at the helm of his 18-wheeler caused the early morning accident on Interstate 10 in LaPlace that injured four people and resulted in miles of commuter delays Wednesday.

Jose Valle-Chavez, 47, of Hialeah, Fla., was cited for careless operation of a vehicle and negligent injury after he crashed his Freightliner Tractor Trailer into a disabled 18-wheeler by the side of the road, said Trooper Melissa Matey, a State Police spokesperson.

According to a release from State Police, the accident occurred shortly before 5:30 a.m. Wednesday in the right eastbound lane of I-10 near mile marker 211. A 2009 International Tractor driven by Matheny Cordette, 46, of Memphis, Tenn., broke down and was parked on the shoulder of the road.

Matey said the driver of the disabled tractor trailer had placed a reflective triangle signal behind the vehicle as a warning, but Valle-Chavez’s truck, traveling in the right lane, drifted off the road to the right and slammed into the back of the disabled truck when Valle-Chavez fell asleep.

As a result of the crash, Valle-Chavez suffered minor injuries and was transported to St. Charles Parish Hospital in Luling, while Jose Ramierez, a 17-year-old passenger in the truck who suffered moderate injuries, was transported to Ochsner Hospital in Kenner.

Meanwhile Cordette, along with 43-year-old passenger Grander Williams of Memphis, Tenn., suffered minor injuries in the crash, Matey said. The two were transported to St. Charles Hospital for treatment.

The accident closed the eastbound lanes of I-10 just past the Interstate 55 interchange in LaPlace for several hours as State Police investigated the crash and Haz-Mat crews cleaned diesel fuel that had spilled from both trucks’ tanks.

Matey said traffic was diverted to Airline Highway beginning at the Gramercy interchange at Louisiana Highway 641. She said traffic on I-55 southbound was diverted to U.S. Highway 51 and then to Airline Highway. Traffic in LaPlace and St. Charles Parish remained very heavy throughout the morning, with some motorists reporting two-hour drive times into New Orleans. The wreck was cleared by 1:30 p.m., and traffic began flowing freely shortly after.