A driver sustained moderate injuries when his car was hit by an empty trailer and flipped into a ditch along La. 182, causing the southbound lane of t

Trailer breaks loose from truck, causes wreck
Mika Edwards
Staff Writer
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BAYOU BLUE - A driver sustained moderate injuries when his car was hit by an empty trailer and flipped into a ditch along La. 182, causing the southbound lane of the busy thoroughfare to be closed down for nearly an hour.

The crash happened in Lafourche Parish just north of Bayou Blue Road after 3 p.m. when a large trailer came unhitched from a black Chevy truck driven by 46-year-old Ray Bourg of Houma, State Police said.

The lose trailer struck a red Pontiac Bonville, driven by 33-year-old Gerald McGowan.

The hitch part of the trailer went through the driver-side door, possibly breaking both of McGowan legs, said Trooper Barry Domangue.

The force of the collision caused the Pontiac to roll down the ditch that runs parallel to the roadway. The car came to a rest on the roof, which was crushed by the impact.

The car sustained extensive damage, including a crushed interior and also took out a portion of a wire fence at the base of the ditch.

Bayou Blue Volunteer Fire Department, Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s deputies and State Police Troop C all responded to the mid-day crash.

Firefighters pulled a responsive McGowan out of the car, who was then transported by Acadian Ambulance to Terrebonne General Medical Center with moderate injuries, Domangue said.

As rescue crews worked to clear the scene – which was littered with debris including glass – traffic along La. 182 coming into Houma was halted for nearly an hour, though traffic going out of the city remained open.

The trailer wasn’t carrying anything, but Bourg was ticketed with an unsecured load, Domangue said.

The road was reopened to traffic just before 4:30 p.m.

Staff writer Mika Edwards can be reached at 857-2202 or mika.edwards@houmatoday.com.

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