Bossier man dies after head-on crash at Jimmie Davis Bridge

SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – The Jimmie Davis bridge above the Red River was shut down for hours Wednesday afternoon, after a crash involving two vehicles.

According to Shreveport Police, patrol units were dispatched at approximately 11:09 a.m. to the 3200 block of East 70th Street, on the Jimmy Davis Bridge, about a major crash involving a passenger vehicle and an 18-wheeler.

When officers arrived, they located the driver of a 2015 Chevrolet Cruze unresponsive. Personnel from the Shreveport Fire Department and the Bossier Fire Department responded and attempted life-saving measures; however, the driver, identified by the Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office as Wayland Bearden, 71, of Bossier City, was pronounced deceased. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

The Shreveport Police Department’s Crash Investigation Unit’s preliminary findings indicate the Chevrolet Cruze was traveling westbound on the Jimmy Davis Bridge when, for unknown reasons, it veered into the eastbound lane and collided head-on with a 2020 Kenworth semi-truck/tanker.

According to SPD, a witness driving behind the Chevrolet Cruze reported observing the vehicle exhibiting erratic driving behavior, possibly due to a medical issue. The witness’s dashcam captured the crash as it occurred, and it has been turned over to investigators.

The driver of the semi-truck was transported to Ochsner LSU Health, where he voluntarily submitted a blood sample for testing. At this time, no signs of impairment are suspected.

Police also noted that the driver of the Chevrolet Cruze was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.

The crash remains under investigation.