DeSoto Parish – On August 29, 2020, around 3:30 p.m., Louisiana State Police Troop G responded to a fatal crash on Louisiana Highway 191 near Fisher Lane. This crash claimed the lives of a father and son.      

 

The preliminary investigation revealed a John Deere Gator ATV, driven by 92-year-old James Booker of Mansfield, was attempting to enter Louisiana Highway 191 from a private drive. For reasons still under investigation, Booker failed to yield to a northbound 2016 Kia Optima and traveled into its path. This resulted in a collision between the two vehicles.

 

Booker and his passenger, identified as his son 67-year-old James G. Booker of Shreveport, were not properly restrained and suffered fatal injuries. They were pronounced dead at the crash scene. The driver of the Optima was not injured. Toxicology samples were obtained and submitted for analysis. This crash remains under investigation. 

 

Troopers wish to remind everyone that it is dangerous and illegal to operate off-road vehicles like three-wheelers, four-wheelers, and other all-terrain vehicles on any public roadway in the state. While not all crashes are survivable, buckling up is the most effective way to protect yourself during a vehicle crash. Failure to take a few seconds to buckle up can have devastating consequences. Louisiana law requires every person in a vehicle, regardless of seating position, to be properly restrained day or night.

 

In 2020, Troop G has investigated 16 fatal crashes resulting in 18 deaths.