A 4-month-old child who suffered life-threatening injuries in a head-on crash near Roanoke is now expected to make a full recovery, according to a September 16 update from Louisiana State Police.
The child was riding in a Hyundai Sonata that State Police said crossed the centerline on LA 395 and struck a northbound Ford Transit on September 11, 2026. Troopers arrested the Hyundai’s driver, Teyonna Washington, on impaired-driving and first-degree vehicular negligent injuring allegations.
Those charges have not been proved. Washington is presumed innocent unless the criminal case ends in a guilty plea or conviction.
The Improved Prognosis Is Important, but Follow-Up Still Matters
KPLC reported that State Police Sgt. Peggy Bourque said the infant’s condition had improved and a full recovery was expected. The original report described the injuries as serious and life-threatening.
An expected full recovery is encouraging. It does not tell us what treatment the child received or whether pediatric follow-up is needed to monitor healing and development. Those decisions belong to the child’s medical providers.
State Police Said the Hyundai Crossed the Centerline
The crash occurred shortly after 4 p.m. near North Railroad Avenue. State Police reported that Washington, 22, of Houston, was driving a 2013 Hyundai south when it crossed into the northbound lane and struck a 2015 Ford Transit head-on.
Washington was unrestrained and suffered minor injuries. The Ford driver and two passengers were restrained and also suffered minor injuries. Everyone was taken to an area hospital.
Troopers said Washington showed signs of impairment but did not publish a breath, blood or toxicology result or identify a substance. The reported observations and any laboratory evidence will need to be evaluated in the criminal case.
Preserve the Infant Carrier Exactly as It Was After the Crash
State Police said the infant was in a carrier in the Hyundai’s front passenger seat. A trooper certified as a child passenger safety technician reportedly found that the carrier was not properly attached to the vehicle and that the child was not properly restrained in it.
The carrier, base, straps, buckles and attachment points should be preserved without alteration. The vehicle’s seating configuration, the manufacturer’s instructions and the trooper’s inspection record may help explain how the child moved during the crash.
Louisiana Revised Statute 32:295 governs child passenger restraint systems. The restraint findings may be relevant to injury mechanics, but they do not explain why the Hyundai crossed the centerline.
The Criminal Charges and the Child’s Civil Claim Are Separate
State Police reported that Washington was booked for first-offense impaired driving and first-degree vehicular negligent injuring. The negligent-injuring statute applies when serious bodily injury is allegedly caused under specified impairment conditions.
A civil claim for the child would separately address fault, medical consequences and insurance coverage. The improved prognosis may reduce some future-damage concerns, but it does not erase emergency treatment, hospitalization or other proven losses.
The family should preserve both vehicles, the carrier and all medical and insurance records. Any settlement of a minor’s claim may require court approval under Louisiana procedure.
For help preserving child-restraint evidence or evaluating insurance after a serious crash, contact Babcock Injury Lawyers.
Sources
- Louisiana State Police: Serious injury crash in Jefferson Davis Parish
- KPLC: Infant expected to recover
- Acadiana News First: Initial report and arrest
- La. R.S. 14:98: Operating while impaired
- La. R.S. 14:39.2: First-degree vehicular negligent injuring
- La. R.S. 32:295: Child passenger restraints
Editorial & Legal Accuracy Notice (Louisiana)
This article is based on the linked State Police and KPLC reports. Washington’s arrest and charges are allegations. The sources reviewed did not provide a completed toxicology result, final reconstruction, detailed medical record or civil fault determination. This article is general information, not advice about a particular claim.