Two children standing off Talbot Avenue after leaving a school bus were seriously injured when a car left the road and struck them on January 29, 2026, according to Louisiana State Police. The crash occurred near Meadows Circle in Lafourche Parish, in the Thibodaux area, shortly before 4 p.m. A local television report said the children were airlifted to a New Orleans hospital; the State Police release described transport to hospitals outside the area without specifying how they traveled.
What State Police reported
Troopers described a two-vehicle sequence. A northbound 2013 Honda Accord had slowed in traffic. A 2004 Chevrolet Impala traveling the same direction moved into the southbound lane in a marked no-passing zone to pass the vehicles ahead. As the Impala attempted to return to the northbound lane, it began to lose control and struck the rear of the Honda. It then went off the right side of the road and hit the two children.
The two children struck off the road and both occupants of the Impala sustained serious injuries, State Police said. The Honda’s driver and three passengers, including two other children, sustained moderate injuries. The release said troopers were still working to establish who had been driving the Impala because its occupants needed immediate medical transport. It also said toxicology samples had been collected and the investigation remained open at the time of that release. Those January 30 statements do not establish a later finding, a citation, or the result of any toxicology test.
WAFB’s report of a FOX 8 account described the children as airlifted and placed the scene near Talbot Avenue and Winder Road. For the crash sequence and location, the State Police release is the more precise official account. Neither source says the school bus struck the children. The release says the children had been dropped off and were standing off the roadway when the Impala hit them.
Why the sequence matters
It would be easy to call this a school bus accident because the children had just left the bus. That description can obscure the two impacts State Police actually reported: the Impala first struck the Honda, then left the road and hit the children. The evidence needed to understand responsibility may include the investigating agency’s reconstruction, positions and damage on both cars, witnesses who saw the attempted pass, and any video showing the road and bus stop. The identity of the Impala’s driver was also unresolved in the release.
Bus route and stop information may help fix the timeline and identify witnesses or cameras. It should not be treated as proof that a bus driver or school system caused the collision. Our guide to school bus accident responsibility explains why the bus operator’s conduct is a separate question that requires evidence. A family seeking a general account of medical and school records can also read our child injury guide.
Records and deadlines for an affected family
The State Police release is a preliminary public account, not a substitute for the completed crash investigation. Under La. R.S. 32:398, access to an investigative crash report is restricted to specified people, including parties to the crash and parents or guardians of a minor party. A parent can ask the investigating agency about availability and preserve the incident number in the meantime. Medical records, school absence records, witness information, and photographs can document effects that a police release does not cover.
For many Louisiana delictual claims arising from a January 2026 injury, Civil Code article 3493.1 states a two-year general period beginning when injury or damage is sustained. That is not a calculation of any child’s actual deadline. The parties, insurance, public entity involvement, and any rule affecting a minor can change the analysis. Louisiana’s comparative fault rule also changed for 2026 incidents, but the State Police account does not support assigning any share of fault to a person in this crash.
Families affected by this collision can discuss the investigation and preservation of records with a lawyer familiar with claims in Lafourche Parish. Our Thibodaux injury practice page describes how to reach the firm. For this report, the essential distinction remains what the official release established and what it left unresolved.
Sources and update status
- Louisiana State Police, January 30, 2026 release.
- WAFB / FOX 8, January 29, 2026 report, for the airlift account.
- La. R.S. 32:398, crash reports; Civil Code article 3493.1; Civil Code article 2323.
Sources checked: September 28, 2026. This report relies on the public release and cited law. It does not assert a final investigative outcome or provide advice about a particular claim.