Two die in Donner crash

An early morning accident in Donner left two unidentified people dead. According to reports, at approximately 3:30 a.m., a 1997 Mercury Mountaineer SUV traveling east on La. 20 and left the roadway to the right, overcorrected, crossed the road and hit a tree head on.

The impact caused the SUV to catch fire, leaving the two victims unidentified. “It was burnt down,” said Trooper Rodney Hyatt, of Troop C. “There’s no identifying marks on there.”

Still, officers were able to find the owner of the vehicle. Donald Cooper, 53, of Thibodaux was identified as the owner. After contacting Cooper’s family, Cooper himself contacted Troop C, letting them know he was alive.

Hyatt said Cooper’s information has given them “good leads” in attempting to identify the victims. “He says that he was at a party in Morgan City,” said Hyatt, “and two people (at the party) took his truck without permission. He thinks it was a man and his girlfriend, but this is all speculation on his part.”

According to Hyatt, Cooper gave the nickname of the person he believes took the vehicle. “He only knows a nickname,” said Hyatt. “That’s where the whole process gets bogged down. Trying to find out from other police officers and other people in the community who the nickname is.

“We have Morgan City (detectives) actually working real close with us right now,” added Hyatt. “They’ve been pretty instrumental in providing us with the names and leads that we have right now.”

However, Morgan City police said that a person believed to be a victim in the crash is currently incarcerated.

Although the fire left no identifying marks on the SUV, Hyatt said the VIN number was acquired from paper found in the glove compartment, which led officers to Cooper. “They were able to salvage some paperwork in the glove box,” said Hyatt. “There was a carbon printout of a VIN number (on carbon paper). They were able to copy down a VIN number and run some combinations of a VIN number to come up with the vehicle. It was just luck that we were able to get the number off of it.”

If anyone has any information on the occupants of the crash, they are asked to call State Police Troop C at (985) 857-3680.