A hit-and-run crash in St. Helena Parish claims the life of a two-year-old. Troopers say it happened just before 10 PM Wednesday on highway 1045 near highway 43. Three others were also injured, and Jhavia Porter of Greensburg was killed. Troopers say the driver and three children got out of their car due to a previous crash and then a dark-colored van traveling eastbound on LA 1045 struck all four pedestrians in the roadway. The vehicle fled the scene and traveled eastbound on LA 1045.
AAA forecasts a 60-percent increase in the number of Americans traveling this Memorial Day weekend compared to last year’s holiday. Spokesperson Don Redman says more than 37 million Americans are expected to travel 50 miles or more from home with 12 million traveling by car.
Cut 10 (06)”… with a vengeance.”
Redman says those traveling by car can expect gas prices to be the most expensive since 2014.
Louisiana Workforce Commission chief economist Julian Hwang says the state economy is rebounding and we’re up to 1.7 million non-farm jobs in Louisiana with employers looking to add even more…
Cut 4 (07)”…the hire site.”
Child drownings increased by sixty percent in Louisiana last year according to the state health department. The number of infant and child drownings, ages zero to fourteen in 2020 was 24, which is up from 15 in 2019. State Health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter says pediatric drownings in the state have been an ongoing issue.
The CDC says Louisiana has the fourth-highest drowning rate for children in the US.