Acadian EMT killed in foggy crash near Slidell, State Police say

SLIDELL, La. (WVUE) - An Acadian Ambulance EMT from Mississippi died early Sunday (Jan. 1) in a two-vehicle crash on Interstate 10 near Slidell, Louisiana State Police said.

The Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) -- identified as 36-year-old John Mitchell Crow of Pascagoula -- was wearing a seat belt, but still sustained fatal injuries when the 2021 Chevrolet ambulance he was driving crashed into the back of a 2020 Volvo Straight Box Truck around 12:40 a.m., the LSP said. The wreck occurred in dense fog on the westbound side of I-10 near Louisiana Hwy. 1090 in St. Tammany Parish.

Two other people inside the ambulance -- a paramedic and a patient -- sustained minor injuries in the crash and were taken for hospital treatment, Acadian Ambulance Service said in a statement. The driver of the Volvo truck was not injured.

LSP spokesman Trooper Williams Huggins said impairment is not suspected to be a factor in the crash, although routine toxicology samples were collected from both drivers for analysis.

Crow joined Acadian as an EMT in July 2019, the company said.

“We are heartbroken at this loss,” Acadian Ambulance president Justin Back said. “It is a tremendous tragedy when we lose a crew member in the performance of their duties or otherwise. Our team is dedicated to protecting and saving lives.

“This hits us all very hard. Our heartfelt prayers go out to John’s family and to our paramedic and our patient.”

The dense fog that socked in the area on New Year’s Eve and early New Year’s Day was cited as a factor being investigated to determine the cause of the accident.

Huggins said that 16 vehicles were involved in five separate crashes on both sides of I-10 near Slidell late Saturday and early Sunday. It was unclear whether the Acadian ambulance Crow was driving was transporting a patient from an earlier crash.

Acadian said it has deployed its Critical Incident Stress Management team to provide support to fellow team members and Crow’s family.

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