Dennis Lastrapes, 37, of Minden, died after a collision at Hollywood Avenue and Bethune Drive in Shreveport on Saturday, October 31, 2026. KTAL/KMSS reported on November 1, citing the Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office, that Lastrapes was transported to Ochsner LSU Health Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His role in either vehicle has not been publicly established.
KSLA reported that Shreveport Police and Caddo Parish 911 received the call around 2:10 p.m. and that at least two vehicles were involved. Three other people, including a child, were taken to hospitals with serious or life-threatening injuries. Their identities, later conditions, occupant positions and relationship to Lastrapes have not been reported. Police have not released the collision sequence or established fault. More than ten police and fire units responded.
What Happened at Hollywood Avenue and Bethune Drive?
The immediate unanswered question is how the vehicles came into contact. Because the public account identifies an intersection but does not explain who approached from which direction, it would be premature to assign fault based on a traffic signal, stop sign, failure to yield or speed. Investigators should first document the actual intersection controls, the location and orientation of each vehicle, impact patterns and original roadway marks.
If signals controlled the relevant traffic movements, reliable controller records and nearby video may help establish the sequence. If the controls were different, the evidence needs to match the actual configuration. The law governing each driver’s movement cannot be determined from the street names alone.
Urgent Evidence Preservation
Businesses or homes near the intersection may have camera recordings showing one or both vehicle approaches. Those recordings can be overwritten. Available event data from the cars, their damage patterns, original police photographs and the initial witness locations can help reconstruct the timing and directions of travel.
With three hospitalized survivors and one death, investigators also need accurate occupant identification and medical records for each affected person. The child’s presence must not be used to assume a particular seat position or family relationship.
Different Claims May Arise From the Same Impact
A fatal collision with multiple seriously injured survivors can involve separate claims and different damages. Whether the evidence supports a negligence claim, who may bring a wrongful death or survival claim and which insurance policies apply require individualized analysis.
Babcock Injury Lawyers handles serious Shreveport automobile collisions and wrongful death cases. In a comparable matter, we would take reasonable steps to preserve relevant cameras, vehicles, electronic data and original scene evidence before adopting an insurer’s explanation. That evidence-first approach is part of The Babcock Benefit. We are not built for volume. We are built for leverage.
Families dealing with a similar serious or fatal crash do not need to determine legal fault before seeking advice. Evidence may be lost while the police investigation continues. 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.