Two die in wrecks

A weekend rife with fatal wrecks in Acadiana did not spare Iberia Parish as two separate crashes claimed the life of two New Iberia residents and left three others injured.

The first crash occurred Saturday evening on U.S. 90 and involved only one vehicle. State Police said Wenceslaus Provost, 65, was traveling eastbound on U.S. 90 in a 2001 Ford F-350 when he lost control of the vehicle and veered off the roadway into a grass embankment.

Provost was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle after it began to roll, Louisiana State Police spokesman David Anderson said. 

Provost was pronounced dead at the scene. Anderson said alcohol is not suspected in the crash at this time.

State Police listed Provost’s age as 66, while the Iberia Parish Coroner’s Office said he was 65.

The second fatal crash occurred Sunday evening and involved three vehicles near the 1200 block of Jane Street.

Alan Perret, 44, was traveling west on Jane Street in his Nissan pickup when his vehicle crossed over into oncoming traffic and collided head on with a 1991 Chevrolet Caprice station wagon, Capt. Wendell Raborn, public information officer for the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office, said.

The collision forced the Nissan back into the westbound lane where it also struck a 1992 Honda, Raborn said.

Iberia Parish Coroner Dr. James Falterman pronounced Perret dead on the scene.

Raborn said alcohol is suspected as being a factor in the crash as police found four empty beer cans in the Nissan.

The woman who was driving the station wagon was extricated from her vehicle and taken to Lafayette General Hospital with critical injuries. The Sheriff’s Office was unable to release her name and her condition was unknown as of press time.

A man and a juvenile passenger of the Honda were taken to Iberia Medical Center and treated for moderate injuries.

Both crashes are still under investigation.

The deadly weekend in Acadiana also included a fatal crash on Interstate 49 north of Opelousas and a one-vehicle accident outside of Kaplan. Anderson said State Police have investigated 60 fatal car crashes this year.