Ossun – On March 21, 2025, shortly after 7:00 a.m., Troopers with Louisiana State Police Troop I began investigating a fatality crash involving a pedestrian on Louisiana Highway 98 near Mills Street in Lafayette Parish. The crash claimed the life of 65-year-old Mark Darsey of Houma.
The preliminary investigation revealed that Darsey exited his vehicle and walked into the eastbound lane of LA Hwy 98 to remove a large item from the roadway. At the same time, a 2023 Mazda CX-5 was traveling east on LA Hwy 98. For reasons still under investigation, the Mazda struck Darsey.
Darsey sustained fatal injuries and died at the scene. The driver of the Mazda was properly restrained and uninjured.
A routine toxicology sample was obtained from Darsey and submitted for analysis. During the crash investigation, Troopers observed no signs of impairment in the Mazda driver and determined that the driver was not impaired. The driver voluntarily provided a breath sample, which showed a result under the legal limit. This crash remains under investigation.