This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

LAPLACE, La. (WGNO) — A man from Texas is behind bars after a crash in St. John the Baptist Parish. According to Louisiana State Police, they began investigating a deadly crash involving an impaired driver on Tuesday afternoon (Oct. 11.) Troopers report that 71-year-old Earl Eschete of Raceland was killed in the incident.

LSP says that the crash happened just after 5:00 p.m. on US 61. Detectives discovered that Eschete was driving a 2000 Ford F-150 south near Jackson Avenue at the same time another driver known as 23-year-old Gasper Orduna of Alvin, TX, was driving a 2019 Ford F-250 north. For reasons still under investigation, the F-250 crossed the center line, entered the southbound lane, and collided head-on with the F-150.

Due to the impact of the crash, Eschete suffered life-threatening injuries and was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. Another passenger in the F-150 “suffered moderate injuries,” reported LSP, and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. Orduna and a passenger in his vehicle were uninjured.

Investigators determined that Orduna displayed signs of impairment and provided a breath sample which indicated a blood alcohol concentration over the legal limit. Troopers arrested and booked him into the St. John Parish Jail for multiple charges including the following:

  • Vehicular Homicide
  • Vehicular Negligent Injuring
  • DWI (1st Offense)
  • Reckless Operation and Driving the wrong way on divided highways