Booze Suspected as Cause; Passenger Dies in Beauregard Parish Crash
DERIDDER—On July 4, 2011, at approximately 6:06 p.m., troopers with Louisiana State Police Troop D responded to a single-vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 171 near Louisiana Highway 26 south of DeRidder in Beauregard Parish that claimed the life of a Dry Creek man.
Investigating troopers report that a 1992 GMC pickup driven by 42-year-old Martin Loren Snyder of DeRidder ran off the left side U.S. 171 while traveling north. Snyder overcorrected and lost control, causing the vehicle to run off the right side of the road and strike a concrete culvert. Snyder, who was not wearing a seatbelt, sustained minor injuries and was transported to an area hospital.
A passenger in Snyder’s vehicle, 59-year-old James M. Jackson of Dry Creek, was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected. Jackson was transported to an area hospital with serious injuries where he was pronounced dead.
Alcohol is suspected to be a factor in the crash. Snyder was treated for minor injuries then booked into the Beauregard Parish Jail for vehicular homicide, DWI 2nd offense, open container, careless operation, and no seat belt.
A toxicology sample was obtained from the driver and will be submitted to the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab for analysis. The crash remains under investigation.
This is the third crash in Beauregard Parish in less than a week involving a vehicle occupant who chose not to wear a seatbelt, was ejected, and died. During a crash, the safest place to be is inside the vehicle. The only way to ensure this is to be properly restrained.
Make the Right Choice. Buckle Up Louisiana. Every Trip. Every Time.
Troop D troopers have investigated 11 fatal crashes in 2011, resulting in 13 fatalities.

Alcohol Suspected In Deadly Union Parish Crash
Louisiana State Police report that on July 4, 2011, a single vehicle crash killed a man from Downsville, LA.
Troopers responded to the crash around 4:30 pm, which occurred on Bridges Road in Union Parish. The crash involved a 1996 Toyota pickup, driven by Mickey D. Faircloth (W/M 52 yrs).
The Toyota was south bound on Bridges Road when Faircloth lost control and exited the roadway. After exiting the roadway, the vehicle collided with a tree and began overturning.
Faircloth was not wearing his seatbelt and was partially ejected. He was pronounced dead.
Routine toxicology tests are pending. The crash remains under investigation.
Motorists must be reminded that alcohol has many effects on the body. Alcohol can impair visual ability, alter sense of time and space, impair fine motor skills needed to operate a motor vehicle, and decrease reaction times. Just one drink may cause these effects.
Louisiana State Police would like to take this opportunity to remind/inform motorists that properly wearing your seatbelt will dramatically reduce your chance of being injured or killed in a crash. We ask for you to take one second to “buckle up!”
In 2011, Louisiana State Police Troop F Troopers have investigated twenty-three (23) fatal crashes resulting in twenty-eight (28) deaths.