Vehicle Strikes Motorcycle From Behind, Killing Lafayette Passenger and Rider From Iowa, Louisiana

JEFFERSON DAVIS PARISH, La. (KPEL News) - May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. One reason for the awareness is because of crashes like this one in Jefferson Davis Parish that took the lives of a woman from Lafayette and a man from Iowa, Louisiana.

Louisiana State Police say the crash happened late Saturday night around 9:00 p.m. on LA Highway 101 near Raoul Road. Initial investigation shows the Harley-Davidson rider - 67-year-old Jacob Touchet - was traveling south on LA 101 with his passenger - 60-year-old Susan Trahan - when a car struck them from behind, causing them to be ejected from the motorcycle and to be thrown into the northbound lane of travel. Then, a pickup truck struck both riders. Investigators say both Touchet and Trahan were wearing DOT-approved helmets but the injuries proved fatal and they were pronounced dead at the scene.

We’re driving vehicles that are 3,500 pounds or more, so we definitely want to give those riders and those motorcycles their space.

That was Louisiana State Police Troop D spokesman Trooper Derek Senegal to our news partners at Louisiana Radio Network. He says investigators are analyzing the vehicle Blackbox, which can determine contributing factors such as braking and speed. Toxicology samples were obtained from Touchet and the other two drivers and will be submitted for analysis as well.

State Police want to leave you with this message:

Motorcyclists are often portrayed as tough characters in popular culture, but the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission wants to remind everyone that motorcyclists are among the most vulnerable road users and should be given extra attention on the road. Motorcyclists from across the state are taking advantage of the warmer weather to hit the open road. Drivers of other vehicles should give motorcycles a little more space to keep everyone safe.

This is the 13th fatal crash being investigated by Troop D in 2023. 15 people have died in these crashes.