Early Morning Crash Kills Bicyclist in Acadia Parish

CROWLEY – Shortly after 6:30 a.m. on March 12, 2020, Troopers from Louisiana State Police Troop I began investigating a fatal crash involving a bicyclist on LA Hwy. 13 near Faulk Road in Acadia Parish.
The crash took the life of 49-year-old Michael Bourgeois of Sulphur.
The initial investigation by State Police revealed that the crash occurred as Bourgeois was traveling northbound on a bicycle in the lane of travel of LA Hwy 13. At the same time, a 2014 Blue Bird school bus was being driven northbound on LA Hwy 13. Bourgeois was traveling on a bicycle equipped with no lights. As the school bus driver approached Bourgeois from the rear, he was unable to avoid the bicycle. As a result, the bus struck the rear of the bicycle, ejecting Bourgeois.
Bourgeois was transported to a local hospital in critical condition where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries. A toxicology sample was obtained from Bourgeois and the results are pending. The driver of the school bus, along with the 18 students on the bus, were uninjured and impairment on the bus driver’s part was not a factor in the crash. A breath sample was obtained from the driver of the school bus which indicated no alcohol in his system. This crash remains under investigation.
Bicyclists should never assume that motorists can see them. Louisiana Revised Statute 32:329.1 states that bicyclists cannot ride on a state highway, parish road, or city street between sunset and sunrise unless their bicycle is equipped with lamps and reflectors. Furthermore, LRS 32:197 states that bicyclists should ride as near to the right side of the roadway as practicable. Troopers would like to remind bicyclists that simple precautions such as using proper lighting, wearing reflective materials, and obeying all traffic laws are key to preventing crashes.