Truck crashes into house in Rayne

One person was arrested and two more hospitalized after a truck careened out of control and struck a house here Saturday afternoon.
“I thought lightening had struck close to the house,” said Paul Kedinger, who was at home with his granddaughter, Victoria, at the time of the crash.
According to police reports, a Toyota Tundra pick-up driven by Patricia A. Hebert, 47, of 215 Finmar Drive, Crowley, was traveling eastbound on East B North Street at a high rate of speed when the driver lost control at about 4:15 p.m. Saturday.
The truck entered the ditch on the north side of East B North and the intersection of Polk Street. The impact broke the water meter for the residence there and the truck went airborne.
The investigating officer reported that he did not see any other tire marks until several feet into Kedinger’s yard across Polk Street.
The truck continued through the yard and struck the side of Kedinger’s house then broadsided Kedinger’s car, which was parked in the drive.
The impact pushed the car through two brick pillars supporting the carport and through a brick wall on the east side of the carport, knocking down most of the wall.
Emergency personnel arrived to find Hebert walking around the crash site.
A field sobriety test was administered and Hebert was subsequently arrested, handcuffed and placed in the back of a police SUV for transport to the police station.
At the station, she was tested on the department’s “Intoxilyzer” and was found to have a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.201.
The legal limit for DWI in Louisiana is 0.08.
Two passengers in the truck, Clifford Demary, 62, of 1120 Kimore Ave., Crowley, and Crystal Roy, 24, of 1111 S. Avenue E, Crowley, were transported to an area hospital.
Demary was not injured in the crash, but was complaining of chest pains. Roy was treated for moderate injuries.
Hebert was charged with careless operation and DWI. Additional charges are pending.
According to multiple witnesses, Hebert’s vehicle ran through numerous stop signs on West B North Street as she was heading east. Witnesses also said that, when Hebert’s truck crossed The Boulevard, it went airborne and, when it landed, that’s when Hebert lost control, hit the ditch then went airborne again and hit the tree in Kedinger’s yard.
Kedinger, who retired just over a year ago as managing editor of The Rayne Acadian-Tribune, though shaken, was not harmed.
“I’m used to writing news stories, not being news stories,” he laughed as personnel erected supports to ensure that his carport did not collapse following the crash.