Bossier Parish – On November 27, 2020, shortly after 7:30 p.m., Troopers from Louisiana State Police Troop G began investigating a two-vehicle, fatal crash on Louisiana Highway 612 east of U.S. Highway 71. This crash killed 18-year-old Wyatt Ricks of Bossier City and 28-year-old John Wuest of Haltom City, Texas.

 

The initial investigation revealed a 2019 Dodge pickup truck, driven by Ricks, was traveling westbound on Louisiana Highway 612. For reasons still under investigation, Ricks’s vehicle crossed the centerline into the eastbound travel lane and struck the front of a 2013 Chevrolet pickup truck, driven by Wuest.

 

Both Ricks and Wuest were unrestrained and sustained fatal injuries in the crash. Two passengers in Ricks’s vehicle, one restrained and the other unrestrained, were taken to a local hospital with moderate injuries. Toxicology samples were obtained and submitted for analysis. This crash remains under investigation.

 

While the cause of this crash remains under investigation, distracted and inattentive driving continues to be a leading cause of crashes in our state.  Louisiana State Police urges all motorists to stay alert while driving.

 

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 26 fatal crashes resulting in 32 deaths.