EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, La. (BRPROUD) – Residents along Joor Road are shaken up after witnessing a deadly crash Friday morning.
A man was killed and another person was taken to a hospital in critical condition after two vehicles crashed near Highway 64.
“They need to just pay attention because God knows we don’t want this to happen to anybody else,” said Central Police Chief Roger Corcoran.
One vehicle was heading north in the 1700 block in a black Honda Accord when a white Chevy pickup truck crossed the centerline heading south and hit the vehicle head-on. The victim killed was identified as Charles Lepisto, 50, of Baton Rouge.
The identity of the pickup truck driver was not immediately released.
“I heard somebody speeding up real fast out front here, then a few moments later I heard a boom,” said a resident who lives on Joor Road.
Police confirmed that one person was ejected from a vehicle and died at the scene. Police believe speed was a factor in the crash. The speed limit down Joor Road is 40 miles per hour but as drivers approach the curve, they are supposed to slow down. If drivers are not careful or watch their speed, accidents this bad can happen.
“It’s so dangerous I don’t know how to explain it,” said a neighbor on Joor Road.
Residents decided to stay anonymous but said they’ve been living near Joor Road for over 10 years, and reckless driving has become a norm.
“My godmother, she passed away in a car accident down this road. And there was a baby in the car, and the only surviving person in the car was a child,” said a neighbor.
Corcoran’s advice to drivers now is to watch the speed limit.
“That’s why we have speed limits on all of our roadways in Louisiana. If people adhere to that, stay off the phones. That’s a big problem,” said Corcoran.
Police are waiting for toxicology results from the driver of the Chevy pickup. This is an ongoing investigation.
