A Metairie woman was killed in a traffic crash on Interstate 55 in St. John the Baptist Parish Monday morning. Charges have been filed against the other driver, Louisiana State Police said in a news release.
The death of 37-year-old Erica Sagona was pronounced at the scene of the accident, three kilometers south of Ruddock.
It happened shortly after 10 a.m. when Sagona had to pull over on the southbound shoulder because her 2006 Ford Escape had broken down.
Cory Conrad, 35, of Magnolia, Mississippi, was driving a 2004 F-150 southbound in the right lane and attempted to pass the vehicle in front of him by pulling onto the shoulder, police said.
He crashed into the back of the Escape in which Sagona was sitting. She died at the scene, according to authorities. Conrad was not wearing a seatbelt and suffered minor injuries.
Police arrested Conrad on charges of reckless driving and negligent homicide. Police did not suspect impairment, but a toxicology sample was taken, the news release said.
“Speeding and aggressive driving continue to be the leading causes of fatal crashes,” State Police said. “Speeding reduces the driver’s ability to safely negotiate curves or obstacles in the roadway, increases the distance needed to stop the vehicle, and increases the distance the vehicle travels while the driver must react to a situation.”
