Louisiana

Louisiana police have July 4 flashing light show for impaired drivers

Published

2 days ago

July 2, 2024

Louisiana police have July 4 flashing light show for impaired drivers

The following has been provided by the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission:

Fireworks shows are a hallmark of Independence Day. But flashing police lights are the only show for impaired drivers as the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission begins its statewide Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign.

According to AAA, a record 60.6 million people will travel by car this 4th of July. Law enforcement officers across Louisiana will be looking specifically for impaired drivers this holiday weekend, and those who fail a sobriety test will be arrested, LHSC Executive Director Lisa Freeman said.

“This is a Louisiana campaign to keep Louisiana citizens safe from the scourge of impaired driving,” Freeman said. “People should be able to celebrate without worrying about getting hit by a drunk driver.”

LHSC has made funds available to Louisiana law enforcement agencies to schedule extra troopers, officers, and deputies to patrol the roads and interstates through Sunday, July 7. These law enforcement officers have been trained to spot behaviors that indicate a driver is impaired.

“If a driver has a blood-alcohol concentration of .08 or higher, that driver is legally impaired and subject to arrest,” Freeman said. “Actual impairment can begin with just one alcoholic beverage. Bottom line: If you’re drinking, you shouldn’t be driving.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, just a small amount of alcohol can cause a decline in visual functions, an inability to perform two simultaneous tasks, reduced coordination, an inability to steer, and a reduced response to emergency driving situations.

Motor vehicle crashes involving drivers who have been drinking kill and injure hundreds of people every year in Louisiana. The statistics are generally worse during holiday periods. From 2018-2022, 12 people were killed and 254 people were injured in alcohol-related crashes during the Independence Day holiday period, according to the Center for Analytics and Research in Transportation Safety at LSU.

“We’ve made so much progress in making roads safer and making vehicles safer, but we continue to see these tragedies,” Freeman said. “Unfortunately, you can never make a road or a car safe enough for an impaired driver. Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over is an important tool for us to protect all road users.”

Besides refusing to drive impaired, avoiding distractions behind the wheel such as a cell phone, driving the speed limit, and wearing a seatbelt greatly reduce the risk of being injured or killed in a motor vehicle crash.

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Louisiana

Louisiana trampoline gymnasts aim for gold in 2024 Paris Olympics

Published

4 hours ago

July 5, 2024

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Louisiana trampoline gymnasts aim for gold in 2024 Paris Olympics

LAFAYETTE, La. (KALB) – Everyone dreams of becoming an Olympian, but for Louisiana’s trampoline gymnasts Aliaksei Shostak and Nicole Ahsinger, that dream became a reality.

KALB sports reporter Julia Keller got a chance to sit down with both gymnasts to discuss their journey to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

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Louisiana

Two killed in Avoyelles Parish crash, LSP reports

Published

11 hours ago

July 4, 2024

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Two killed in Avoyelles Parish crash, LSP reports

AVOYELLES PARISH, La. (KALB) – The Louisiana State Police Troop E reported that two people were killed in Avoyelles Parish after a crash on July 4.

Troopers responded to the two-vehicle crash on Hwy 29 near Overby Road at around 1:30 am.

The incident reportedly killed Shepherd Roy Jr., 63, of Bunkie and Robert Johnson, 75, of Breaux Bridge.

Investigators stated that, for reasons not yet determined, a vehicle driven by Roy crossed into the oncoming lane on Hwy 29 and collided head-on with a vehicle driven by Johnson. Neither were wearing seatbelts and both men were pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigator reportedly suspect that impairment was a factor in the crash. Routine toxicology samples were collected for analysis.

This is an ongoing investigation.

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Louisiana

Louisiana family drapes home with 50-foot American flag to celebrate Independence Day

Published

18 hours ago

July 4, 2024

Press Room

Louisiana family drapes home with 50-foot American flag to celebrate Independence Day

A father-son duo is taking their patriotism to the next level this Independence Day by adorning their Louisiana home with a 50-foot, 60-pound American flag.

John Beard says the massive Old Glory, a gift from a Marine veteran who served four tours in Iraq, pays homage to all America has done for his household.

“We don’t have a huge flag pole [to] put it on, so we decided, in order to show our patriotism, this is how we were going to do it. We put it on the house,” he told “Fox & Friends First” Wednesday.

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In this image, the Beard family’s home is seen draped in the massive American flag. (Fox & Friends First/John Beard Screengrab)

The task wasn’t easy, according to John, who took special care not to damage the flag in the process.

“Ladder, rope and tackle and getting it up there and laying it across and then unfolding it and putting it up there and tacking it down, trying to be as respectful as possible to the flag,” he told a local outlet about the effort.

John’s son Jayden told Fox News that his friends in the neighborhood also came over to help.

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Jayden Beard (left) and his father John Beard (right) (Fox & Friends First/Screengrab)

“They were all for it,” he noted.

“I very much [love my country], and I agree with my father’s choice, what he’s doing of covering the house,” he added. “The flag really represents my freedom, everyone’s freedom of speech of being able to hang this flag without any repercussions.”

Feedback among neighbors has been generally positive, but there has been some “pushback” online, according to John.

“We just kind of think if we’re upsetting the liberals, then you must be doing something right,” he quipped.

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Taylor Penley is an associate editor with Fox News.

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