COVINGTON, La. (BRPROUD) — Louisiana State Police are investigating a deadly crash that killed a 19-year-old LSU student on Friday.
According to State Police, troopers from Troop L were called to I-12 near Highway 1077 around 11:20 a.m. Through an investigation, troopers learned that 19-year-old Avery Natal was on I-12 in the left lane heading east in her 2020 Hyundai Elantra when she hit the back of a 2017 freightliner tractor-trailer that was driving in the right lane.
Authorities said Natal hit the Freightliner when she tried to merge into the right lane but she went off the roadway and hit the tree line.
Police say Natal was wearing her seatbelt but suffered from fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the freightliner was also wearing a seatbelt but was not injured.
Impairment is not suspected to be a factor in the crash.