ST. TAMMANY PARISH, La. — Three sisters who attend Archbishop Hannan High School were injured, one critically, in a two-vehicle accident on I-12 in Covington.
The wreck happened around 7:45, Tuesday morning near the Louisiana Highway 21 exit.
Police say another vehicle struck the right side of their car.
“Preliminary information right now is saying that both vehicles were traveling westbound when a Toyota Sequoia did hit a Volkswagen Jetta,” LA State Police Troop L Spokesman Trooper William Huggins said. “After that initial impact, the Jetta began to overturn.”
The sisters were taken to area hospitals.
One of them was ejected from the vehicle.
She was flown by Air-Med helicopter first to North Oaks, then to the University Medical Center in New Orleans with life threatening injuries.
Police said she was sitting in the back seat, not wearing a seat belt.
“If there’s anything I can give to the viewers today is please talk to your children about the importance of wearing your seat belt properly regardless of seating position,” Higgins said.
The accident happened on a stretch of 1-12, now being widened after a series of bad accidents in recent years.
“That entire construction area is to relieve the heavy congestion of this part of the parish,” Huggins said.
The occupants of the other vehicle, an adult and two children were not injured.
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WWL-TV reporter Paul Murphy contributed to this report.