SUV plunges 60 feet after swerving to avoid mattress on I-49
By: Nancy Cook
Updated: October 29, 2012
A woman is recovering this morning from injuries she received following a rollover crash in Shreveport Sunday night.
SPD investigators believe Kiara Williams, 23, of the 9000 block of Sara Lane in Shreveport, lost control of her SUV while swerving to avoid a mattress in the travel lane of I-49, just south of the West 70th Street.
When officers arrival at the scene, they learned Williams was seriously injured when her green 2000 model Ford Explorer plunged approximately 60 feet to the ground below after going over a concrete barrier, trapping her inside.
It is theorized the presence of the mattress on the roadway could be the casual factor in the crash. William's vehicle, which sustained severe crush damage, was recovered on the ground below the interstate near Dillman Avenue at West 79th Street.
Members of the Shreveport Fire Department successfully extricated Williams from her wrecked vehicle, subsequently transporting her to LSU Medical Center with what was described as potentially life threatening injuries.
Crash Investigators from the Shreveport Police Department arrived on scene launching their investigation into the accident. Due to the nature of the crash and in accordance to state laws, investigators will submit a sample of William's blood to the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab for toxicological analysis.
At this point, there is no evidence to suggest that alcohol was an associated factor in this crash. Efforts to determine the origins of the mattress are ongoing at this time.
