Highway 1171 crash claims life of Ville Platte resident

By: NICKOLAS FONTENOT
Staff Reporter

On Tuesday, June 23, a truck driven by 43-year-old James Erwin of Ville Platte was involved in a two-vehicle fatal crash on US Highway 1171, just north of Industrial Park Road.
The second truck, driven by a 16-year-old minor, was a Ford F250 pickup truck. This truck was towing a trailer containing a round bail of hay.
Louisiana State Police say that Erwin was travelling southbound on Highway 1171 and the minor was travelling northbound on the same highway. As the Ford F250 continued on, the utility trailer broke away from the truck and entered the southbound lane where it struck Erwin’s vehicle.
After the initial impact, troopers say Erwin’s truck ran off the roadway and overturned. The minor continued driving until he arrived at his destination approximately a mile away, unaware that his trailer had broken free.
Erwin was not wearing a seat belt. He suffered severe injuries and was transported to Mercy Regional Medical Center where he later died.
Troopers say impairment was not likely to be a factor in this crash, however the incident remains under investigation. The 16-year-old was cited with Defective Vehicle Equipment, No Safety Chains, and Failure to Transfer the Title of a Motor Vehicle.