Pedro Manzueta Villa Killed in Bicycle, Truck Accident in Jefferson Parish, LA
UPDATE (August 31, 2023): In recent statements, it appears that Louisiana State Police arrested the truck driver allegedly involved in the crash that killed Pedro Manzueta Villa. They allege the truck driver violated laws regarding passing cyclists, and there is now a pending charge for negligent homicide, according to the news. The incident remains under investigation.
Jefferson Parish, LA — April 4, 2023, Pedro Manzueta Villa was killed as the result of a truck accident where an 18-wheeler hit him on his bicycle along Highway 541.
Authorities said that the incident took place at around 9:00 a.m. in the area of Marrero near the Highway 541 and Robinson Avenue intersection.
According to initial details, 32-year-old Pedro Manzueta Villa was on a bicycle traveling along the eastbound lanes of the highway. While rounding a curve, authorities say a tractor-trailer was attempting to pass Manzueta Villa. Somehow, the 18-wheeler hit Manzueta Villa while passing, resulting in fatal injuries.
While authorities say they do not suspect impairment as a contributing factor, they have not yet released any potential factors they're looking into. Investigations are ongoing.
I looked up the most recent images I could find of this stretch of road. On the curves I can find in this area, all yellow lines appear to be two solid lines—which generally means it's a no-passing zone. Perhaps the images I've seen don't accurately reflect where this crash occurred, but it's certainly enough to raise some serious concerns.
So what exactly happened here? Will we be hearing more from authorities anytime soon? And if so, could their findings show that these initial concerns have some ground to stand on?
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