Police: Louisiana police officer loses control of cruiser, causes fatal wreck

Published 4:50 pm Tuesday, September 11, 2018

MONTGOMERY, La. (AP) — Louisiana authorities say a police officer was driving down a highway in Montgomery when he lost control of his vehicle and caused a wreck, killing himself and another man.

Louisiana State Police said 24-year-old Montgomery police Officer Kirt R. Ricks III lost control of his cruiser Friday night. Police say he crashed into a pickup truck driven by 65-year-old Gary W. Pinder.

Police say the men weren’t wearing seatbelts and were pronounced dead at the scene. Police say Pinder’s passenger, 58-year-old Robert L. Carter, also wasn’t wearing his seatbelt. Carter suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital.

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Police say the crash remains under investigation and toxicology tests are pending.