Benton Man Named as Victim in Unrestrained Bossier Crash

On Saturday, October 21, 2023, just before 3:00 p.m., Troopers assigned to Louisiana State Police Troop G began investigating a single-vehicle serious injury crash on Linton Cutoff Road just east of LA Hwy 162. This crash claimed the life of 62-year-old Athalee Brown Jr.

The initial investigation revealed that a 2002 Ford F-150, driven by Brown Jr., was traveling east on Linton Cutoff Road. For reasons still under investigation, Brown Jr. failed to maintain control of his vehicle and exited the roadway. After exiting the roadway, the vehicle collided with a tree.

As a result of this crash, Brown Jr. suffered serious injuries. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment. On Monday, October 23, 2023, Louisiana State Police was notified by the Bossier Parish Coroner’s Office that Brown Jr. had succumbed to his injuries on Sunday, October 22, 2023. As part of an ongoing investigation, routine toxicology samples were collected and will be submitted for analysis. This crash remains under investigation.

Time and time again, Troopers witness preventable motor vehicle crashes. Impairment and lack of seat belt usage are primary causes of crashes across the state. Louisiana State Police urge motorists to have a plan in place that includes a designated driver when consuming alcohol. Alcohol can impair visual ability, alter the sense of time and space, impair fine motor skills, and decrease reaction times. Alcohol can begin to impair a person's ability to safely operate a motor vehicle after just one drink. Please choose not to drive impaired or ride with an impaired driver, and always buckle up.

Louisiana State Troopers wish to remind motorists to obey all speed limit signs and avoid all distractions. Speeding reduces a driver’s ability to steer safely around curves or objects in the roadway, extends the distance necessary to stop a vehicle, and increases the distance a vehicle travels while the driver reacts to a situation. Speeding and other aggressive driving behaviors are among the leading causes of highway crashes and fatalities.

In 2023, Troop G has investigated 21 fatal crashes, resulting in 21 deaths.