A 13-year-old Port Barre girl died from injuries she suffered in a September 12, 2026, crash on westbound I-10 near the Butte La Rose exit, according to Louisiana State Police.
Troopers said the Hyundai Elantra in which she was riding moved from the left lane into the right lane, struck a concrete barrier and then hit the rear of a Ram ProMaster. Both vehicles later struck barriers. The girl was taken to a hospital with critical injuries and died on September 15.
Why the Hyundai Moved Right Remains Unexplained
The 2013 Hyundai was westbound in the left lane, with a 2020 Ram traveling in the right lane. State Police did not say whether the Hyundai was changing lanes, reacting to traffic or experiencing another problem. The release also does not give either vehicle’s speed or describe braking before impact.
The Ram driver was restrained and reported no injuries. Troopers said the driver showed no signs of impairment and voluntarily provided a breath sample that detected no alcohol.
State Police described impairment by the Hyundai driver as unknown and collected a standard toxicology sample. That is not a finding of impairment.
The Restraint Evidence Matters, but It Does Not Explain the Crash
State Police reported that the teenager, the Hyundai driver and three other passengers were unrestrained. An infant was in a child safety seat that troopers said was not properly secured to the vehicle.
Those facts may matter to injury mechanics. They do not explain why the Hyundai left its lane. Louisiana’s child-restraint statute also limits how a failure to use a child safety system may be used in a civil negligence case. La. R.S. 32:295 states that such a failure cannot be treated as comparative negligence or admitted as negligence evidence.
The infant seat, base, straps and attachment points should be preserved in their post-crash condition. No conclusion should be drawn that the seat caused an injury without medical and engineering evidence.
The Teenager and Other Passengers Did Not Control Either Vehicle
The passengers’ claims should be evaluated separately from the drivers’ conduct. Nothing in the release suggests that the teenager caused the lane movement or the collision.
The reconstruction should focus on the Hyundai’s path, the location and angle of the barrier strikes, the rear impact with the Ram and any available vehicle data. The Ram driver’s conduct should be examined, but the public account does not identify wrongdoing by that driver.
If another person’s fault caused the girl’s death, Louisiana’s wrongful-death and survival-action provisions may apply. Because she survived for several days, her hospitalization and medical course may be relevant to the survival claim.
Preserve Both Vehicles and Every Restraint System
The Hyundai, Ram, seat belts and child safety seat should be preserved before repair or disposal. Scene photographs, barrier marks, witness information and any roadway or dashcam video may help establish why the Hyundai moved right and the sequence of the later impacts.
For help evaluating a child’s fatal passenger claim or preserving vehicle and restraint evidence, contact Babcock Injury Lawyers.
Sources
- Louisiana State Police: Teenager dies after St. Martin Parish crash
- La. R.S. 32:295: Child passenger restraints
- La. R.S. 32:295.1: Safety belt use
- Louisiana Civil Code article 2315.1
- Louisiana Civil Code article 2315.2
Editorial & Legal Accuracy Notice (Louisiana)
This article is based on the preliminary Louisiana State Police release. The girl and other Hyundai occupants were not identified, and the source did not provide a final reconstruction, toxicology result or fault allocation. The restraint information is reported separately from crash causation. This article is general information, not advice about a particular claim.