LAKE CHARLES, LA. (THECOUNT) — Alejandro Cazares of McAllen, Texas and Roberto Alejandro Moreno of Edinburg, Texas, have been identified as the victims in a single-vehicle crash in Lake Charles, Louisiana on Friday.
According to witnesses, Cazares, 23, was the driver of a 2016 Chevrolet Cruze when he stopped at the Black Bayou Swing Bridge, which was closed to vehicular traffic for a passing boat.
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The 165-foot section of the bridge swings open on pontoons to allow vessels to pass.
For unknown reasons, 32-year-old Moreno, exited the vehicle and pushed up a gate arm to allow Cazares to drive through.
Moreno then got back into the vehicle and it continued traveling to the open section of the swing bridge.
The driver then reversed the vehicle to create distance and then sped up the ramp in what appeared to be an attempt to jump the 165-foot opening.
The car launched landing in the water far short of a target and quickly sank to the bottom.
Cazares and Moreno managed to exit the vehicle but died in the river, according to officials.
Louisiana State Police
Two men died early Friday when a driver tried to jump a car over an opening created by a pontoon swing bridge in southwestern Louisiana, state police said on Facebook.
According to a post from Louisiana State Police, shortly before 2 a.m. CT, Louisiana State Police responded to a single-vehicle crash in the water at the Black Bayou Bridge on Louisiana Highway 384 near Lake Charles. Two men from Texas died in the crash. The car was raised to the surface by state police, reports KCTV5.
Investigators are working to determine whether alcohol or drugs were a factor.
DEVELOPING::
Geo quick facts: Lake Charles is a city in southwest Louisiana. Downtown, the Mardi Gras Museum explores the history of the iconic festival through colorful costumes. The 1911 Historic City Hall Arts & Cultural Center features traveling exhibitions and local art. Nearby, the giant, centuries-old Sallier Oak tree stands on the grounds of the Imperial Calcasieu Museum, a visual arts center. The city also has several large casinos – wikipedia.
