Dennis Lastrapes, 37, of Minden, died after a two-vehicle collision at Hollywood Avenue and Bethune Drive in Shreveport on Saturday, October 31, 2026. KTAL/KMSS reported, citing the Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office, that Lastrapes was pronounced dead at Ochsner LSU Health Hospital.
A November 1 KTAL/KMSS report of Shreveport Police findings identifies the deceased as the driver of a vehicle that entered Hollywood Avenue from Bethune Drive to turn east. Police said a westbound vehicle was speeding on Hollywood Avenue when it struck the turning vehicle. The driver and two passengers in the turning vehicle were ejected. The collision happened around 2:07 p.m., and all four people involved were transported to Ochsner LSU Health.
The November 1 Shreveport Police account described the adult and juvenile passengers in the turning vehicle as having life-threatening injuries and the westbound driver as having serious injuries. In a later report published at 10:56 p.m. CST on November 1, KSLA said both passengers and the westbound driver remained in critical condition. Those descriptions reflect different reports at different times; no newer medical status is independently verified. Police also reported that the three occupants of the turning vehicle were unrestrained and that a child safety seat was not being used. Those are police-reported investigative findings, not an independent final reconstruction.
What Do Police Say Happened at Hollywood Avenue and Bethune Drive?
The emerging central question is how the westbound vehicle’s speed and the turning vehicle’s entry into Hollywood Avenue affected the collision. A driver entering or turning onto a roadway has duties that must be examined against actual traffic controls and visibility. At the same time, the westbound vehicle’s reported speed may bear on reaction time, stopping distance, the force of impact and whether a collision could have been avoided or made less severe. Neither the mere fact of a turn nor the allegation of speeding determines the entire civil fault analysis.
Shreveport Police said the DWI Unit joined the investigation and that the westbound driver voluntarily gave a blood sample for laboratory testing. Police had not determined that impairment was involved. A blood sample or DWI Unit involvement is not proof of intoxication; final toxicology, if released, must be assessed on its own terms.
The Evidence That Could Resolve the Disputed Issues
Reconstruction should begin with the original scene diagram, debris field, impact damage and lane positions, together with the intersection’s actual controls and sight lines. Nearby business or traffic video may show when the vehicle entered Hollywood Avenue and how quickly the westbound vehicle approached. Electronic event data, if available from either vehicle, may help test speed, braking and steering in the seconds before impact. An official finding that a vehicle was speeding should be evaluated alongside measurements and corroborating data.
Because three people were reportedly ejected from the turning vehicle, retaining that vehicle for examination could be particularly important. Seat belt webbing, buckles, occupant-restraint components, seat locations, vehicle damage and any available crash data may help evaluate the ejections. The police-reported absence of restraints raises additional questions concerning injury severity but does not, by itself, establish which driver caused the collision. The juvenile passenger’s identity, age, seating position and relationship to others should not be assumed.
Civil Claims and Criminal Investigation Are Different
Police can investigate possible traffic offenses or impairment while a separate civil inquiry examines the conduct of both drivers, causation, comparative fault, the severity of injuries and available insurance. Evidence of an alleged driving violation does not automatically decide every question in a wrongful death or serious injury claim. Likewise, the question whether restraints affected injuries must be distinguished from the question who caused the impact.
With one fatality, an adult and a juvenile reported in life-threatening condition, and another seriously injured driver, the collision could present multiple legally distinct claims and insurance questions. Whether any particular person has a claim or defense depends on the confirmed relationships, applicable law and evidence. The individuals involved are not clients of Babcock Injury Lawyers.
Our firm handles serious Shreveport automobile crashes and wrongful death cases. In a comparable case, we would move to preserve both vehicles, event data, nearby video, initial measurements and all relevant insurance information before relying on an incomplete narrative. That is part of The Babcock Benefit: preparing the evidence early with potential litigation in mind.
A family confronting a similar collision does not need to decide fault or determine whether a claim exists before asking how to protect evidence. Call (225) 500-5000 or contact Babcock Injury Lawyers online. The firm does not represent anyone involved in this incident. This article is general information, not legal advice.