A 63-year-old woman from Ponchatoula, Deborah H. Severio, was tragically killed in a multi-vehicle accident on Interstate 10 in St. Tammany Parish early Friday morning, according to the Louisiana State Police.
Details of the Accident
The incident occurred around 4:40 a.m. as Severio was driving east in her Toyota RAV4. She slowed down after approaching a 4Runner that had been involved in a single-vehicle crash just east of the Interstate 12 and Interstate 59 interchange. An Audi A6 then struck Severio’s vehicle from behind, prompting both drivers to pull over.
Emergency personnel arrived on the scene, and all drivers exited their vehicles. While standing between her RAV4 and the Audi, Severio was struck and killed when a Nissan Titan approached and collided with the Audi, pushing it into Severio and her vehicle. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Injuries and Investigation
A passenger in Severio’s vehicle sustained minor injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. The drivers of the 4Runner and Nissan Titan were properly restrained and did not suffer injuries. Authorities confirmed that impairment is not suspected for the Nissan driver, who provided a breath sample of 0.000 g%.
State police have collected routine toxicology samples from all drivers as part of the ongoing investigation into the crash.
