This article was originally published in The Examiner on Nov. 2, 2017.
By Eleanor Skelton
Staff Writer
Two Southeast Texas men were killed in a Louisiana pileup involving four 18-wheelers, state troopers said.
The accident happened about 2 a.m. Monday, October 30 on I-10 eastbound while traffic was stopped due to another accident just east of Grosse Tete in West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana State Police said in a news release.
State troopers investigating said Willett did not slow down his 2016 Peterbuilt semi-tractor truck behind stopped traffic in the right lane. His semi hit the back of a 2016 Freightliner semi-tractor truck driven by Kimberly Mack, 48, of Asheville, North Carolina, pushing Mack’s 18-wheeler into a 2013 International semi-tractor truck driven by Bret Bay, 53, of Niceville, Florida.
Mack’s semi-tractor truck rolled over and fell across the median of the interstate, and Bay’s 18-wheeler hit the rear of a 2016 International semi-tractor truck driven by Cleshown Weathersby, 30, of Houston.
Alex Willett, 55, of Orange, and his passenger, John Mack, 53, of Beaumont, were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident by the West Baton Rouge Parish Coroner’s Office.
The other drivers involved had minor to moderate injuries, state troopers said.
“Impairment is not suspected to be a factor in this crash and a toxicology sample will
be taken from all drivers for analysis,” Louisiana State Police said.
Eleanor Skelton 