Gramercy man killed in Airline Highway wreck

Published 2:56 pm Sunday, April 21, 2013

LAPLACE – A Gramercy man was killed early Sunday morning in a two-vehicle crash on Airline Highway in St. John the Baptist Parish near the intersection of Louisiana Highway 54.

Cleveland Parquette III, 27, was pronounce dead at the scene of the accident, which occurred shortly before 12:30 a.m.

Preliminary investigation revealed that Parquette was driving a 2002 GMC Envoy on U.S. Highway 61 south in the right lane approaching Highway 54. Another vehicle, a 1994 Lincoln Towncar driven by Colen Johnson, 25, of Gramercy was traveling on U.S. 61 in the right lane ahead of the Envoy. For unknown reasons, the Envoy struck the rear of the Towncar. The Towncar rotated clockwise and ran off the road to the right. The Envoy lost control and began rolling over several times beyond the right shoulder. As the Envoy was rolling, Parquette was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead. Johnson and a front seat passenger in the Towncar received minor injuries.

Speed and impairment are unknown factors at this time. A toxicology test is pending an autopsy for Parquette.

The crash remains under investigation.