Clifton Babin died after a vehicle struck him while he was crossing North Main Street near Magnolia Park in St. Martinville on September 23, 2026.
St. Martinville Police Chief Andrew Broussard told KLFY that officers were called to the 1900 block around 9 a.m. and found Babin dead at the scene.
Police say Babin was crossing from the west side of North Main Street toward the east and that the vehicle was traveling northbound. The driver has not been cited, and the investigation remains open.
The Exact Crossing Point Matters
Police have said Babin was crossing into oncoming traffic. That is an important preliminary fact, but it does not answer every question that would matter in a civil investigation.
The public report does not say exactly where Babin entered the roadway in relation to an intersection, marked crosswalk, unmarked crosswalk, driveway or curb line. It also does not state the vehicle’s speed or how much time and distance the driver had to see him.
If our firm were investigating this crash for Babin’s family, one of the first things I would want documented is the precise crossing location.
That means measurements, photographs and video of the roadway, the Magnolia Park area, lane configuration, sight lines and any pedestrian-control features that existed at the time.
Nearby Video Could Answer Questions the Police Report Cannot
Video from businesses, residences, public facilities or other cameras near the 1900 block of North Main Street could show where Babin was before he entered the roadway and when he became visible to the northbound driver.
That evidence may also help establish the vehicle’s path, whether braking or evasive movement occurred and the positions of any other vehicles that may have affected visibility.
I would not wait for the police investigation to finish before identifying those cameras. Private surveillance systems can overwrite footage long before a final crash report is issued.
Our fatal crash investigation guide explains why early scene and video preservation can matter.
The Driver’s Vehicle Should Be Preserved Too
The striking vehicle may contain evidence that cannot be recreated later.
Depending on the vehicle and available systems, electronic crash data may help establish speed, braking or other inputs before impact. The location and pattern of physical damage can also help reconstruction experts evaluate the point and angle of contact.
If this were our client’s family, I would want that vehicle identified and preserved before repair, sale or disposal changes its condition.
A Lack of Citation Does Not Decide Civil Fault
Chief Broussard said the driver had not been cited.
That does not mean a civil claim exists, and it does not mean one does not exist. A traffic citation and civil responsibility are different questions.
Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:213 addresses pedestrians crossing outside a marked crosswalk or an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection. Revised Statutes 32:214 separately requires drivers to exercise due care to avoid colliding with pedestrians.
The available report does not establish which crosswalk rule applies because it does not identify Babin’s exact crossing point.
Because this crash occurred after January 1, 2026, Louisiana Civil Code article 2323’s current comparative-fault framework may also matter. A person attributed 51 percent or more of the negligence causing an injury or death cannot recover damages, while a lower percentage reduces damages proportionately.
That makes the physical evidence more important, not less. Fault should be evaluated from what actually happened, not from assumptions based on a short preliminary report.
If Clifton Babin Was Your Family Member
Your family does not need to decide today whether the driver was legally at fault.
The more immediate question is whether the evidence needed to answer that question is being preserved: the exact crossing location, nearby video, the striking vehicle, electronic data, witness information and the police reconstruction.
If retained, Babcock Injury Lawyers would work to preserve that evidence before it disappears and identify every potentially available source of insurance before asking the family to make decisions about a claim.
If your family was affected by this crash, call (225) 500-5000 or contact Babcock Injury Lawyers. There is no charge to talk with us about what happened.
If a Louisiana pedestrian crash results in death, wrongful death and survival law determines which family members may have claims and what losses those claims address.
Sources
- KLFY report republished by AOL: St. Martinville man killed by car on North Main Street
- Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:213
- Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:214
- Louisiana Civil Code article 2323
Editorial & Legal Accuracy Notice (Louisiana)
This article is based on reporting attributed to the St. Martinville Police Department and current Louisiana statutes. The public report does not identify the driver, describe the vehicle, state whether Babin was in a crosswalk, or provide a final fault determination. The investigation remains ongoing. This article provides general information and is not legal advice.