Sabine Parish – On September 25, 2022, at approximately 2:30 p.m., Louisiana State Police Troop E responded to a fatal crash on Louisiana Highway 175 north of Louisiana Highway 120. This crash claimed the life of 35-year-old Albert Nettles of Marthaville.

The initial investigation revealed a 2009 Chevrolet pickup truck, driven by Nettles, was traveling south on Louisiana Highway 175. For reasons still under investigation, Nettles’ vehicle traveled off the roadway, down the ditch embankment, before striking a concrete bridge structure and overturning. This action ejected Nettles from the vehicle.

Nettles, who was unrestrained, sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead. Impairment is a suspected factor in this crash. A toxicology sample was obtained and submitted for analysis. This crash remains under investigation.

While not all crashes are survivable, proper use of seat belts can greatly decrease an occupant’s chance of death and may greatly reduce the extent of injury. Always ensuring every occupant is properly restrained can often mean the difference between life and death.

Louisiana State Police would like to remind all motorists that if you feel differently, you drive differently. Alcohol, prescription drugs, and other drugs have many effects on the body that negatively affect driving skills. These drugs can impair visual ability, alter the sense of time and space, impair fine motor skills needed to operate a motor vehicle, and decrease reaction times. Motorists are encouraged to plan ahead and designate a sober driver. Not doing so can have deadly consequences.

In 2022, Troop E has investigated 38 fatal crashes, resulting in 40 deaths.