Some expressions are incomprehensible to people in the other 49 states but make perfect sense in Louisiana. Only we call the freebies you get to soften the blow of an expensive purchase lagniappe. People from other states may have heard that the pastries we eat with our morning coffee are called beignets, but they do not have the same clear mental image of the four corners of a beignet peeking out from under a mountain of powdered sugar.
While the rest of the country argues about whether the beverages that take the edge off the summer heat when you are too young for beer are called soda, pop, or Coke (even if they are Pepsi), we in Louisiana know that they are called cold drinks and that this name describes them aptly. More than any of these, the neutral ground looms large in our minds. We are aware of the neutral ground even when it is visually undistinguished, when there is nothing that the folks in other states would recognize as a median. Even though we understand that most rules were made to be broken, being mindful of the neutral ground is part of who we are. This is a good thing because when someone crosses the neutral ground and drives into oncoming traffic, the results are often disastrous. If you were injured in a wrong-way collision, contact a Houma car accident lawyer.
Crossing the Center Lane is Almost Always a Case of Severe Negligence
In September 2023, Jeffrey Meche was driving on LA 26 in Jeff Davis Parish when he crossed the center lane and drove into oncoming traffic. He collided head-on with Chelsey Benoit’s car; she later died of injuries she sustained in the collision. She was 29 years old.
Meche was drunk at the time of the collision. He was charged with DWI resulting in death, and he pleaded guilty to the charges. In 2025, a judge sentenced Meche, 65, to 10 years in prison, with five of them suspended, which means that he does not have to serve the last five unless he does something that warrants increasing the amount of time he spends incarcerated. As for the first three years, Meche must spend them in prison without the possibility of parole. When he becomes eligible for parole, a judge will decide whether to release him. After his release from prison, whenever that happens, he must complete a substance abuse program. His driving privileges will not be reinstated upon his release. The families of victims of fatal DWI collisions have the right to sue the at-fault driver, even if the drunk driver did not get a criminal conviction.
Contact the Law Office of Patrick H. Yancey About Personal Injury Cases
A personal injury lawyer can help you get the money you need after an accident where a drunk driver crossed the center lane. Contact the Law Office of Patrick H. Yancey in Houma, Louisiana, to set up a consultation about your case.
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