Assumption Parish suffers bloody weekend on roads

PAINCOURTVILLE — A 4-year-old boy and 24-year-old woman both died after separate wrecks this weekend in Assumption Parish just a week after three other people died in crashes in the parish, according to Louisiana State Police Troop C news releases.
Shortly after 9 p.m. Sunday, Louisiana State Police Troop C troopers began investigating a single vehicle crash that killed a 4-year-old boy on La. 308 in Assumption Parish.
The investigation revealed that a 2013 Mazda 2 was traveling north on La. 308, south of the La. 70 Spur, around box number 5286 in Assumption Parish. The Mazda was being driven by Toniska Willoughby, 22, of Napoleonville.
For unknown reasons, the Mazda traveled off the road to the right where it entered a ditch and struck a culvert. The driver was transported to Our Lady of the Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge with moderate injuries, the release stated. Seat belt use for the driver is still unclear at this time, according to release.
As a result of the crash, Cason Willoughby, 4, who was the son of Toniska Willoughby and the front seat passenger, was pronounced dead on the scene by an Assumption Parish Coroner’s Office representative. The 4-year-old was not properly restrained at the time of the crash and was only utilizing the lap portion of the seat belt, the release stated.
Impairment on the part of the driver is unknown at this time. Blood was taken from the driver and the test results will be pending at the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab. The crash remains under investigation, police said.
On Friday night, a head-on crash on La. 70 left one person dead and three injured in a crash in Assumption Parish shortly before midnight, according to another news release.
State police said a 1997 Ford Escort, driven by Christina Paul, 24, of Belle Rose, was westbound on La. 70 near the Homerun Parkway in Assumption Parish. The Escort entered the eastbound lane and attempted to pass two vehicles traveling in the westbound lane, police.
The Escort struck a 2009 Kia Optima, driven by Brittany Williams, 22, of Napoleonville, that was traveling east on La. 70, head-on, police said.
Paul, who was properly restrained, was pronounced dead on the scene by an Assumption Parish Coroner’s Office representative, police said.
Williams, who was properly restrained, was transported to Our Lady of the Lake Hospital with moderate injuries, police said. The front seat passenger in the Optima, Ebony Henry, 26, of Napoleonville, was properly restrained and transported to St. Elizabeth Hospital with moderate injuries. The rear seat passenger in the Optima, Lakita Robertson, 23, of Napoleonville, was not properly restrained and was transported to Our Lady of the Lake Hospital with critical injuries, police said.
It is unknown if impairment is a factor in the crash, police said. The police news release said routine toxicology tests are pending for Paul and Williams.
Last weekend, two brothers died in Pierre Part when the Corvette they were in left La. 70 and struck several trees, according to a news release from Louisiana State Police Troop C. The brothers were unrestrained in the crash that occurred at 1:30 a.m. Oct. 26, police said.
Police identified the occupants as Todd Ponville, 48, of Pierre Part, and Troy Ponville, 49, of Napoleonville, who were pronounced dead on the scene by the Assumption Parish Coroner’s Office representative.
Also on Oct. 26, a head-on crash killed a 10-year-old girl and left three others injured on La. 1 in Assumption Parish, according to a news release.
Killed in the crash was Neveah Pierson, 10, of Gray, who was the daughter of Sommer Pierson, driver of one of the vehicles involved in the wreck.