Wilbert Davis, 66, was killed early Monday morning after a truck left the roadway and struck him on a sidewalk along Southeast Evangeline Thruway in Lafayette, Louisiana.
The crash happened around 12:21 a.m. Monday, Aug. 24, in the 100 block of SE Evangeline Thruway, according to Lafayette police. Officers were called to the area after receiving a report of a crash involving a vehicle and a pedestrian.
Investigators said the truck was traveling north when it suddenly veered off the road to the left and entered the sidewalk. Davis was on the sidewalk when the truck struck him.
After hitting Davis, the truck returned to the roadway and continued north on the Northeast Evangeline Thruway. The vehicle did not remain on the road for long.
Police said the truck then veered off the roadway again, this time to the right. It struck several utility poles before finally coming to a stop near the intersection of North Magnolia Street and East Simcoe Street.
Davis suffered fatal injuries in the crash and died at the scene. Police identified him as a 66-year-old Lafayette man.
The driver of the truck was also hurt in the crash but suffered only minor injuries, police said. Authorities have not released the driver’s name or provided further details about the driver’s condition.
The circumstances that caused the truck to leave the roadway remain under investigation. Police have not said why the vehicle veered onto the sidewalk or what may have led to the second departure from the roadway.
The Lafayette Police Department’s Traffic Unit is handling the investigation. More details could be released as investigators continue to piece together what happened in the early-morning crash.
For Davis’ family and those who knew him, the crash ended an ordinary life in a sudden and painful way. At 66, he was remembered not by the few moments surrounding the collision, but by the years of life that came before it.
The investigation remains active, and authorities have not announced any charges in connection with the crash.
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