PRESS RELEASE — Calcasieu Parish – On Thursday, June 20, 2019, shortly after 1 a.m., Louisiana State Police Troop D responded to a single-vehicle fatal crash on Interstate 10 about 6 ½  miles west of Vinton. The crash claimed the life of 54-year-old Daryl M. Piazza of Groves, Texas.

The preliminary investigation revealed a 2003 GMC pickup truck driven by Piazza was traveling west on I-10. For unknown reasons, the pickup truck ran off the right side of the roadway, struck a guardrail, and rolled over.

Piazza was not wearing a seat belt and was partially ejected from the vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene by the Calcasieu Parish Coroner’s Office.

A toxicology sample was obtained and will be submitted for analysis. The crash remains under investigation.

Louisiana State Police wish to remind motorists that all occupants in a vehicle must be properly restrained, regardless of seating position. While not all crashes are survivable, statistics show the chances of surviving a crash rise significantly when properly restrained. The decision not to wear a seat belt can have deadly consequences.  Motorists are encouraged to make the smart choice and to always wear a seat belt.

Troop D has investigated 16 fatal crashes resulting in 19 deaths.