Kaplan, LA — October 13, 2024, 62-year-old Mitchell Livings was killed in a traffic collision with an 18-wheeler on State Highway 14 in Kaplan.
According to authorities, the accident occurred around 11:00 p.m. on Highway 14 near Pirates Lane. Preliminary investigation suggests Livings was driving a Toyota Highlander west on the highway some distance behind a Kenworth 18-wheeler. Investigators allege the Toyota “failed to slow down” for unknown reasons and crashed into the rear of the semi-trailer ahead of it.
Livings was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. No other injuries were reported.
The investigation is ongoing. No further details are currently available.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
Investigators were prudent enough not to say they definitely knew the reason for the crash, but they coincidentally mentioned that distracted driving is a major cause of similar accidents in the Bayou State. People might infer that the victim in this wreck wasn’t paying attention, but as always I discourage any premature conclusions before all the facts are in. Folks might be surprised to learn how many times something else—something harder to detect from a once-over at the scene—was involved in a collision like this one.
There may be extenuating circumstances or other contributing factors, so it’s important to ask more questions. Here’s a few that come to mind: How fast were both vehicles traveling? If the SUV overtook the truck, did the truck slow? If so, was that gradual or sudden? Were the truck’s and trailer’s brake lights working and clearly visible? Will authorities make sure the SUV’s safety features (brakes, airbags, seatbelts) worked properly? Did anyone else clearly see what happened? Who’s telling the victim’s side of the story here?
The big point here is that many accidents aren’t as simple as a few sentences in the news make them sound. Learning the whole story is important; it not might vindicate the victim, but at least it could keep his loved ones from wondering what the truth really was. I hope investigators will bring them some real answers, determined by evidence, before all is said and done.
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