Jennings – On November 6, 2021, just before 7:30 p.m., Troopers from Louisiana State Police Troop D responded to a crash involving a pedestrian on the I-10 South Frontage Road just west of LA Hwy 26 in Jefferson Davis Parish. The crash claimed the life of 36-year-old Katie Rae Mott of Welsh.

The initial investigation revealed that the crash occurred as Mott was walking in the westbound lane of travel on the frontage road. At the same time, the driver of a 2004 Ford F250 pickup truck, who was traveling west, struck Mott.

Mott sustained fatal injuries as a result of the crash and was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Ford was properly restrained and not injured. Impairment on the part of the driver of the Ford is not suspected, but a toxicology sample was obtained and submitted for analysis. This crash remains under investigation.

A majority of pedestrian fatalities, nearly 70 percent, occur at night. Troopers urge pedestrians to maintain a heightened level of awareness while walking near or on roadways. Simple precautions such as wearing reflective materials, avoiding distractions, not walking too close to roadways, and walking against the flow of traffic could prevent most pedestrian related crashes.

Troop D has investigated 31 fatal crashes resulting in 32 deaths in 2021.