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St. John the Baptist – At approximately 11:52 am  Monday, Feb. 24, Troopers with Louisiana State Police Troop B began investigating a two vehicle fatality crash on Interstate 10 eastbound near Belle Terre Road. The crash took the life of 27-year-old Tyandra Lewis of Baton Rouge and her 7-year-old son.

The preliminary investigation revealed the deceased was traveling eastbound on Interstate 10 near Belle Terre in a 2005 Toyota Camry. For reasons still under investigation, the Camry stopped in the left lane of travel. At the same time, a 2002 Ford F-350 pickup driven by 39-year-old Willy Buchan of Tyler Texas, was traveling eastbound and struck the rear of the Camry. Lewis and her son sustained fatal injuries as a result of the impact. Lewis was pregnant and expecting twins at the time of the crash. The front seat passenger, 43-year-old Clarence Muse of Baton Rouge, and his 3-year-old son, both sustained non-life threatening injuries as result of the crash. Both were transported to an area hospital. Seatbelt use by all occupants is still under investigation at this time. The driver of the Ford, Buchan, was not injured. Impairment on Muse’ part is not suspected however toxicology reports are pending. This crash remains under investigation and there is no further information available at this time.

Troopers wish to remind motorists that all occupants in a vehicle must be restrained, regardless of seating position. While not all crashes are survivable, statistics show that the chances of surviving a crash rise significantly when properly restrained. Simply making safe decisions while in motor vehicles such as never driving impaired and ensuring all occupants are properly restrained can often mean the difference between life and death. Every Louisiana State Police Troop is a grant funded fitting station staffed by nationally certified seat technicians. Each station teaches parents/caregivers how to properly install a child safety seat and how to properly buckle children into the seat. This service is free to the public. Please visit www.lsp.org to find out when your local LSP Troop conducts child seat checks.