On October 31, 2021, at approximately 5:50 p.m., Louisiana State Police Troop E responded to a two-vehicle crash on U.S. 165 north of Ball. This crash claimed the life of 50-year-old Teresa Ann Morgan of Trout.
The initial investigation revealed a 2017 Volkswagen Jetta, driven by 38-year-old Miranda Sue Derrick of Pollock, was southbound on U.S. 165. For reasons still under investigation, Derrick failed to slow down as she approached a southbound 2017 Chevrolet pickup truck. As a result, Derrick’s vehicle rear-ended the Chevrolet causing both vehicles to leave the roadway and thus causing the Chevrolet to overturn.
Derrick, who was restrained, sustained no injuries. The driver and passenger, Morgan, in the Chevrolet were both unrestrained at the time of the crash. The driver sustained moderate injuries and was transported to a local hospital. Morgan was pronounced dead at the scene. Impairment is a suspected factor in this crash.
After a thorough investigation, Derrick was arrested and charged with vehicular homicide, vehicular negligent injury and DWI 1st. Toxicology samples were obtained and submitted for analysis. The crash remains under investigation
Louisiana State Police would like to remind all motorists that if you feel differently, you drive differently. Alcohol, prescription drugs, and other drugs have many effects on the body that negatively affect driving skills. These drugs can impair visual ability, alter the sense of time and space, impair fine motor skills needed to operate a motor vehicle, and decrease reaction times. Motorists are encouraged to plan ahead and designate a sober driver. Not doing so can have deadly consequences.
In 2021, Troop E Troopers has investigated 48 fatal crashes resulting in 50 fatalities.
