St Mary Parish – On December 15, 2021, shortly after 11:30 p.m., Louisiana State Police Troop I was notified of a two-vehicle crash on US Highway 90 west of LA 662 (near Amelia) in St. Mary Parish. The crash claimed the life of 51-year-old Kumaravel P. Nadar of Morgan City.

The initial investigation revealed Nadar was driving a vehicle west on US 90 when he experienced a mechanical failure and parked on the outside shoulder. Nadar abandoned the vehicle and later returned in a 2006 Toyota Highlander. He positioned the Highlander sideways across the westbound outside lane of travel to utilize jumper cables for the vehicle he had mechanical issues with. While parked across the westbound lane, the Highlander was struck by a 2021 Toyota Tacoma. After impact, the Highlander overturned and Nadar was partially ejected.

Nadar was unrestrained and was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Tacoma was restrained and suffered only minor injuries. Standard toxicology samples were obtained from Nadar, along with the other driver, and results are pending. This crash remains under investigation.

While not all crashes are survivable, statistics show that the chances of surviving a crash rise significantly when properly restrained. Making good choices while in motor vehicles such as always ensuring every occupant is properly restrained and not driving impaired or distracted can often mean the difference between life and death.

Troop I has investigated 60 fatal crashes resulting in 71 deaths in 2021.