Walker – Louisiana State Police Troop A began an investigation into a fatal crash late Tuesday, early Wednesday, in Livingston Parish La. Hwy. 447 south of Interstate 12, which claimed one life and injured the four remaining unrestrained occupants, said Trooper First Class Russell Graham.

Troopers’ preliminary investigation revealed that a 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier was traveling north on Hwy. 447 when it entered a right hand curve and ran off the roadway to the left, Graham said.

The vehicle struck a culvert, became airborne, rolled several times and came to rest on its roof. There were five occupants in the vehicle, none of them were restrained at the time of the crash and they were all ejected from the vehicle, said Graham.

Stanley Williams Sr., 64, of Denham Springs, suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased on the scene by the Livingston Parish Coroner’s Office.

Three of the occupants - Deborah Walker, 52, of Livingston; Jackie Williams, 60, of Denham Springs; and Stanley Williams Jr., 41, of Denham Springs - all sustained several injuries and were transported to various local hospitals, said Graham.

Sherrie Forbes, 43, of Livingston, sustained critical injuries and remains in the hospital, Graham said.

Troopers are still trying to determine who was driving the vehicle, and alcohol is suspected to have been a factor in the crash, as all the occupants were impaired, Graham said.

The crash remains under investigation, and charges may be forthcoming pending the outcome of the investigation.

In 2011, over half of the fatal crashes across the state involved impaired drivers, unrestrained occupants or both, said Graham.

Troopers strongly urge motorists to make better decisions before getting into a vehicle. There is never a good reason to drive impaired or to get into a vehicle with an impaired driver.

State law requires ALL occupants to be properly restrained, regardless of seating position. The single most effective thing you can do to increase your chances of surviving a violent crash is to buckle up. The primary function of a seat belt is to prevent ejection and to spread the forces of a crash over a wider part of the body to reduce injuries and fatalities. This is the second fatal crash in the Troop A area over the past week, and both fatalities were a result of ejection during a rollover crash caused by an impaired driver.

The safest place to be during a rollover crash is INSIDE the vehicle, and the only way to ensure that you stay inside the vehicle is to be properly restrained.