VERMILION PARISH, La. (KLFY)– Vermilion Parish residents are speaking out about safe driving because of an uptick in crashes.
Residents that News 10 spoke with said they want to encourage drivers to pay attention when driving. They said staying alert can be the difference in keeping someone alive and not having an accident.
“I see them all the time,” Ethan Broussard, a Vermilion Parish resident, said. “We see accidents and police officers pulling people over for driving recklessly. It’s a normal site to see nowadays.”
Broussard said he sees drivers that are speeding in Maurice.
“167 heading south is 65 mph, and people set their cruises at 75, and sometimes they go faster than that,” Broussard said. “So, people just need to pay attention. They need to stop speeding and think about it. These cars aren’t made to take this kind of impact at those speeds, so you just gotta be more aware of your driving habits.”
According to data by LSU, eight deadly crashes have been reported so far this year in the parish. Stacy Primeaux said, in 2018, she lost her daughter to a drunk driver traveling in the wrong direction on highway 167.
“She was hit head-on,” Primeaux said. “She was killed instantly as well as her friend Sydney and the two other boys were injured pretty severely. I’m thankful they are alive today, but it’s just sad for our community. It really devastated the entire community, even in surrounding towns that know the girls.”
Primeaux said people involved in accidents have a long-term effect.
“If you were ever involved in that, it’s not a one-time thing. It goes on forever,” Primeaux said.
Taking preventative measures from being impaired or distracted while driving can reduce the number of fatal crashes and help save lives.
