Zwolle woman killed in crash involving 18-wheeler

Louisiana State Police, Troop E (November 23, 2019): Early this morning, a crash involving two vehicles killed a woman from Zwolle, LA.

Troopers responded to the crash around 6:40 a.m., which occurred on U.S. Hwy 171, in Zwolle.  The crash involved a 2020 International (18-wheeler log truck), driven by 25-year-old Shamarrius Wiseman of Many, LA and a 2015 Nissan Altima, driven by 30-year-old Teandra Chandler.  The preliminary investigation revealed that the International was southbound on U.S. Hwy 171, having just turned from U.S. Hwy 171 Business.  This action placed the International in the direct travel path of the southbound Nissan.  Chandler was unable to avoid the 18-wheeler and her vehicle collided with the left rear portion of it.

Wiseman was wearing his seat belt and was not injured.  He was charged with a stop sign violation.  It is unknown if Chandler was wearing her seat belt.  She was transported to Sabine Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.  Routine toxicology tests are pending.  The crash remains under investigation.

Inattentive and distracted driving is dangerous and is a leading cause of crashes in our state. It is important for motorists to pay attention to what is going on outside of the vehicle they are driving. More information on distracted driving may be found online at the federal government’s official distracted driving website, www.distraction.gov.

While not all crashes are survivable, seat belts can greatly decrease the occupant’s chance of death and will greatly reduce the extent of injury.

Troop E Troopers have investigated 42 fatal crashes in 2019, resulting in 46 fatalities.