Elderly Louisiana couple killed when their car is struck by two 18-wheeler trucks

Published 10:40 pm Wednesday, March 2, 2022

A fatal crash in north Louisiana has left an unrestrained man and woman, both in their 80s, dead.

It happened Monday, just after 4 p.m., on U.S. 84 in DeSoto Parish. State police said Louis Flanigan, 81, and his wife, Inell Flanigan, 80, were headed east in a 1991 Jaguar XJ6 followed by a 2016 Freightliner. At the same time, a 2013 Freightliner was headed west on the highway.

Louisiana State Police said the Flanigans’ car failed to yield before trying to make a left turn into a private driveway and was hit by the westbound Freightliner. The impact caused the Jaguar to enter the eastbound lane, where it was hit again — by the eastbound Freightliner, investigators said.

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Neither Louis Flanigan nor Inell Flanigan, both of Shreveport, were wearing seatbelts. Each suffered fatal injuries. They were pronounced dead at the scene by the DeSoto Parish coroner’s office.

The drivers of the 18-wheelers were wearing seatbelts and suffered non-life-threatening injuries, troopers said.

Impairment is not suspected to be a factor, but routine toxicology samples were taken and will be submitted for analysis, authorities said.

The crash remains under investigation.