Shortly before 9:00 p.m. on November 22, 2025, Troopers responded to a multi-vehicle crash on I-55 north, just before the Manchac Bridge in St. John the Baptist Parish. The crash ultimately claimed the life of 88-year-old Lula Kinchen of Hammond, and one of the drivers, whose identity is being withheld pending further investigation.
The preliminary investigation revealed that an Infiniti SUV was traveling north on I-55 approaching milepost 14.4, behind a Honda CR-V, when, for unknown reasons, the Infiniti crashed into the rear of the Honda. After impacting the Honda, the Infiniti traveled into the left northbound lane and was struck on its left side by a Nissan Maxima. Following the crash, both the Infiniti and Nissan became engulfed in flames.
Kinchen, a passenger of the Nissan, suffered serious injuries and was transported to a local hospital, where she later died. The driver of the Infiniti suffered serious injuries and died on scene. The driver of the Honda was properly restrained and uninjured. Due to the severity of the crash, it is unknown if the occupants of both the Infiniti and Nissan were restrained at the time of the crash, and toxicology results are pending. This crash remains under investigation.
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