Raceland teen dies when car hit utility pole

A Raceland man accidentally crashed his car into a utility pole early last Tuesday morning while driving north on Louisiana Hwy. 308 close to Raceland Jr. High School, killing his teenaged passenger, state trooper Rodney Hyatt said.

The driver, Deadren Rhodes of Raceland, 27, received “moderate injuries,” according to a press release.

Rhodes and his front-seat passenger, Brian Morris, 16, also from Raceland, were wearing their safety belts, according to state police. Morris was pronounced dead at the scene by the Lafourche Parish Coroner’s Office.

“We are working to determine the rate of speed (at the time of the crash),” Hyatt said.

“Witnesses said the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed,” he said. “However, even though a witness thinks a vehicle is speeding, (they could be mistaken).”

“Based on the amount of damage, and the amount of time it took for the fire department to get the pole out of the car,” he said, “we can speculate that the vehicle exceeded the 40-mile-per-hour speed limit.”

The vehicle was a 1998 Ford Crown Victoria. The accident occurred at around 8:15 a.m., the release stated.

Hyatt said that the road was wet at the time of the collision, and that the tread on the car’s wheels was low.

“The tire tread would be unsafe on that road,” he said.

The collision “was a side-impact crash,” Hyatt said. “The passenger side went into the driver’s seat. Probably a passenger wouldn’t survive that.”

Blood will be drawn from Rhodes to determine if there is a drug or alcohol presence, and sent to the crime lab in Baton Rouge. Charges are “pending” until the results are known, the release said.