GRETNA, La. — A dashcam video shows the view from inside the car, where Isabella Landeche was sitting in the passenger seat on Saturday night. Her boyfriend was driving them home when a red truck pulled out in front of them.
“I heard him yell and I saw red because the truck was red and next thing I knew I was completely disoriented,” said Landeche.
It happened at the intersection of Wall Boulevard and Iberia Street in Gretna. Landeche’s boyfriend was driving them home after celebrating her upcoming birthday. He says he had just checked his blind spot to move into the right lane. Just as he starts to merge, the video shows the red truck speeding across.
“The first sense I remember after the accident was feeling blood coming out my nose,” said Landeche.
Thankfully, that was about the worst of their injuries but it’s what happened right after the crash that also hurts. Surveillance video from a nearby home shows another view. Immediately after the crash, the driver of the red truck backs down Iberia Steet and just leaves.
“I don’t understand, especially an accident that bad, how you can just have complete disregard for somebody’s life,” said Landeche.
According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, hit-and-run crashes are relatively common in the U.S. The American Automobile Association, known as Triple A, breaks it down to one happening every 43 seconds in the U.S., with Louisiana as one of the top three states where those crashes are deadly.
“Every time I close my eyes at night, all I hear is his car hitting us, over and over again,” said Landeche.
For this couple, the result was more property damage. The front of the car was smashed in, and the airbags deployed. Because the driver left, they couldn’t get a license plate, and the liability insurance coverage won’t be much help. They just hope someone knows who that truck belongs to.
“We know it’s a red Nissan Titian and it’s obviously going to have some kind of damage to the passenger side,” said Landeche.
It’s all damage from a crash they know could have been deadly, but are thankful to have walked away from.
WWL Louisiana reached out to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office for any updates on this case and to see how many hit-and-run cases the parish has recently had. A spokesman would only say this crash has been handed off to the Traffic Division for investigation.
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