East Baton Rouge Parish – State Police say that a man found dead in his upside down car in a canal may have been driving while impaired.  Shortly after 3:00 pm on July 30, 2015, Troopers from Louisiana State Police Troop A began investigating a single vehicle fatality crash that occurred on US 61 north of LA 64 near the East Feliciana Parish line. Troopers were contacted by the Department of Transportation and Development and informed that one of their work crews located an overturn vehicle with the deceased driver still inside. The driver was later identified as 25 year old Michael Hains of St. Francisville, LA.

The initial investigation by State Police revealed that the crash occurred as Hains was traveling northbound on US 61 in a 2004 Cadillac CTS. For unknown reasons, Hains’s vehicle ran off the right side of the road and struck a private driveway. The vehicle continued to travel into a wooded area and began to overturn. The vehicle then came to rest on its roof, partially submerged in a canal.

Hains was unrestrained and received fatal injuries as a result of the crash. He was pronounced deceased at the scene by the East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner’s Office. Impairment is suspected to be a factor in the crash. A toxicology test will be conducted by the East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner’s Office.

Louisiana State Troopers want to inform motorists that all occupants of a motor vehicle must be restrained, regardless of seating position. While not all crashes are survivable, statistics show that the chances of surviving a crash rise significantly when properly restrained. Making good choices while in motor vehicles such as never driving while impaired, always ensuring every occupant is properly restrained, and avoiding all distractions can often mean the difference between life and death.