4-vehicle crash on La. 28 East kills Alexandria man

A West Monroe man has been charged with negligent homicide after a four-vehicle wreck that killed an Alexandria man on Tuesday afternoon.

Louisiana State Police troopers responded to the wreck around 1:55 p.m. near the border of LaSalle and Rapides parishes on La. Highway 28 East.

The West Monroe man, 30-year-old Londell Smith Jr., was driving a 2014 Freightliner truck westbound when he apparently tried to pass some vehicles on the two-lane highway, reads a release.

When he crossed the center line, he hit a 1997 Ford pickup truck driven by William T. Lewis, 86, of Alexandria. The Freightliner hit the truck head-on, although Lewis tried to avoid the crash, it reads.

After the initial crash, a 2009 Kia Optima, driven by 38-year-old Isaac H. Carloss Jr. of Wildsville, hit Lewis' truck. A 2009 Dodge Charger, driven by 35-year-old Dillion P. McTernan of Pineville, then hit debris from the other three vehicles.

Lewis, who was not wearing a seat belt, died at the scene.

Smith, Carloss and McTernan all were wearing seat belts. Both Smith and Carloss sustained minor injuries. McTernan was not injured.

Smith was arrested and booked into the LaSalle Parish Detention Center. The crash remains under investigation, and routine toxicology tests are pending.