UPDATE: (07/07/21)

83-year-old Morris Levine, Jr. of Houston, Texas, has been identified as the driver who died in the second fatal crash.

UPDATE: (07/06/21)

Officials have confirmed that two people have died because of this crash. Louisiana State Police spokesman Trooper Thomas Gossen says 30-year-old John Cooper Guidry of Iowa and 34-year-old Joshua Lee Babineaux of Lafayette died in the first of two crashes in Acadia Parish on Tuesday.

Trooper Gossen says the 18-wheeler - driven by 67-year-old Nicholas Anthony of New Iberia - lost control as he was headed eastbound after one of his front tires went out and struck a truck. That impact drug the truck across the median into the westbound lanes, hitting an SUV driven by Babineaux and a truck pulling a trailer of cattle that was being driven by Guidry, who Trooper Gossen says was unrestrained.

Several head of cattle died in the incident as well.

Impairment is not suspected, though, standard toxicology samples are being analyzed.

A second crash happened just before 11:00 a.m. on I-10 near mile marker 69 about four miles east of Jennings. A driver whose identity has not been released pending notification of next of kin died after he sideswiped an 18-wheeler that was stopped because of a crash one mile ahead. After hitting the 18-wheeler, the driver then rear ended a truck.

ORIGINAL:

The right lane of Interstate 10 West is closed after a head-on crash near the Duson exit.


According to a witness, a westbound 18-wheeler went into the median and crossed into oncoming traffic. That's when, according to the witness, the 18-wheeler hit a truck carrying livestock. Video from 511LA.org shows that 18-wheeler is overturned in the median.

That crash left at least five people injured. The extent of their injuries is unknown.

Traffic is backed up for three miles while crews work to clear the scene. Drivers are urged to take an alternate route. Officials close to the investigation tell us the road will be blocked "for a while."

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