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LAFAYETTE — On August 16, 2017 shortly after 9 p.m., Troopers from Louisiana State Police Troop I responded to a four vehicle fatal crash that occurred on Interstate 10 west near Louisiana Avenue in Lafayette Parish. The crash took the life of 50-year-old Sheila Houston of Lafayette.
The initial investigation by State Police revealed that the crash occurred as 29-year-old Everardo Estada-Hernandez was driving a 1997 Ford Expedition westbound on Interstate 10 near Louisiana Avenue in an active construction zone. For unknown reasons, Estada-Hernandez failed to stop for traffic that was stopped in the outside lane due to the traffic congestion and struck the rear of a 2007 Lexus RX350 operated by Houston. After the initial impact, the Lexus moved forward striking the rear of a 2009 Hyundai Sonata operated by 46 year old Maria Mayeux of Lafayette. Estada-Hernandez’s Expedition continued to travel west, striking the right side of the Sonata and the rear right of a 2017 Kenworth Tractor Trailer operated by 41-year-old Marcus Hoffpauir of Crowley. Estada-Hernandez exited his vehicle and fled the scene on foot, but was later apprehended by Lafayette Police.
Due to Estada-Hernandez fleeing the scene, it is unknown if he was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. He did sustain minor injuries and was transported to a local hospital. Houston was properly restrained, but sustained fatal injuries. Houston was pronounced dead on scene by the Lafayette Parish Coroner’s Office. Mayeux and Hoffpauir were wearing seat belts and did not sustain any injuries.
Troopers suspect impairment is a contributing factor on the part of Estada-Hernandez. Toxicology samples were obtained from both Estada-Hernandez and Houston. Both samples were submitted to the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab for analysis. Troopers did not suspect impairment by Mayeux or Hoffpauir. Both voluntarily submitted to a chemical breath test and were found not to be impaired.
Estada-Hernandez was arrested and booked at the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center on Vehicular Homicide, Hit and Run, Careless Driving, No Driver’s License, and No Proof Insurance.
This crash remains under investigation.
Unfortunately, this is the second work zone related fatality in two months that has occurred in the Troop I area. Troopers wish to remind motorists of the importance of driving with caution in roadway construction zones. Drivers should slow down when approaching work zones and follow posted speed limits, warning signs, and flagmen or sign directions. Drivers should also be sober, resist distractions and remain aware of their surroundings as there are often workers inside construction zones on our highways. Always remain vigilant and expect the unexpected as workers, work vehicles, or equipment may enter your lane or come to a stop suddenly.

DELCAMBRE — Since 1950, the Delcambre Shrimp Festival has hooked visitors with good food, cold drinks and fais-do-do music.
Scheduled from Aug. 16 to Aug. 20, the festival marks the beginning of shrimping season.
An estimated 20,000 people attend the festival, said Tracey Trim, president of the Delcambre Shrimp Festival Association. The festival is handicap accessible.
“It’s very good for Delcambre because it brings a lot of tourists into the town. It gets people to see what Delcambre is really about. It’s great for the economy,” he said.
Festival events include the shrimp cook-off and pageants. The festival elects a king as well as queens from a pool of girls and young women.
Entertainment includes carnival rides and live music.
This year’s music lineup features Clay Walker, Daryle Singletary and local artists such as Jeff Dugan, Kip Sonnier, Sal Melancon, The Beau Young Band, Leroy Thomas, Dustin Sonnier, T. K. Hulin and others.
Family-run booths will serve boiled shrimp, friend shrimp, shrimp salad and other shrimp dishes. Vendors also sell festival food like hamburgers, hot dogs and nachos.
Some 70 to 100 vendors should be at the festival, Trim said.
“All of the food is prepared and cooked by volunteers. They volunteer their time to come out and cook each dish. We start prepping for this festival on Aug. 1. We batter the shrimp ourselves; we freeze them; we package them,” he said.
“Every dish should be a crowd favorite due to the fact that we’re oneof the last few local festivals around this area. We don’t let outside vendors come in.”
Mayor Pam Blakely also described the festival as a community initiative.
“What the shrimp festival really means is, the Delcambre community gets together,” she said.
“We cook all our own food. We do everything ourselves. Nothing isbrought in. The community donates their time and works really hard.
Then, when the festival’s finished, we put the profit back into the community.”
Sixty-seven years ago, the festival began as a fundraiser for the fire department. The festival still raises funds for local charities and organizations, such as the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.
Profits also support Delcambre High School, Delcambre Elementary, Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church and St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church. Last year, the profits funded a new church tabernacle.
Shrimping and faith have anchored the Delcambre community for generations. The blessing of the shrimp fleet became part of the festival in 1953.
From the 10 a.m. mass, held in the Delcambre Shrimp Festival Building, people walk to the dock. The parish pastor and festival royalty will set out on a boat to bless shrimping boats in the harbor.
The Rev. John “Buddy” Breaux, pastor of Our Lady of the Lake and St. Martin de Porres, will lead the blessing of the fleet for the first time this year.
“Shrimp is what a lot of families lived on. Their fathers were shrimpers,” Blakely said. “To bless the fleet means that we should have a good year, that shrimp should be plentiful.”
“A blessing’s good for everything, you know,” she said, laughing.
For more information, visit www.shrimpfestival.net.

Those who volunteer as coaches in high school and middle school in Vermilion Parish may finally get compensated for all of the work they put in.
Paul Hebert, the assistant superintendent, was recently named the new athletic director of the parish after Mike Dartez retired from education.
One of Hebert’s changes as the new AD is to try and established a pay scale for volunteer coaches or school employees who are coaching but are not teachers.
A teacher is paid 2 to 3 percent of his or her salary to be a coach.
Right now there are at least 25 volunteer coaches who are coaching in either a high school or middle school. Many of those coaches get outside funds for compensation as coaches. Hebert explained that booster clubs sometimes cough up money to help volunteer coaches.
To pay around 25 volunteer coaches would cost the school board around $40,000 a year.
Out of the 25-plus volunteer coaches, a handful are head coaches of big programs.
At Abbeville High, Raymond Frederick is a volunteer head softball coach. AHS has eight volunteer coaches with four in power lifting and one in football. The rest are in softball and baseball.
Erath High has the most volunteer high school head coaches in the parish.
Jeremy Picard is the head baseball coach at Erath High School.
Volunteer coach Mark Theall is a long-time head cross country coach at Erath High School.
David Wiggins is a volunteer head golf coach at Erath.
Kaplan High has four volunteer coaches in football and one in soccer.
Gueydan High has a total of six volunteer coaches. The school has three in high school and two in middle school. Volunteer coaches are head coaches of the middle school baseball and softball programs.
North Vermilion has at least five volunteer coaches with two head coaches in soccer and volleyball.
Hebert presented a pay scale to school board members at Monday night’s committee meeting. He also explained that the volunteer coaches would also have to sign a contract with the school board.
Another reason for compensating volunteer coaches is because some high schools were naming a coach on staff as the head coach of that certain sport, but the booster club was paying money to a volunteer coach to coach that same sport.
“This would allow us to pay a volunteer a lesser amount than what the school system was paying the coach on staff,” said Hebert. “If we had a volunteer named as the head coach, we would not name a faculty member as a head coach. You would reduce some cost to the school board.”
School board member Chris Gautreaux does not like the idea of the school board having to pay a volunteer coach to coach.
“I don’t see why the school board has to take on the burden of paying someone when we do not have to pay anyone,” said Gautreaux. “We are putting this on general fund, which is money we do not have.”
School board attorney Woody Woodruff told the board members that a school employee does not have to attend the sporting event if it is being coached by a volunteer coach.
Gautreaux wanted to know who told the school board that a staff member has to be present when a volunteer coach is coaching a sport.
“That has been a misunderstanding,” Hebert said.
“We have been paying all this money on a misunderstanding?” asked Gautreaux.
School Board member Laura LeBeouf wanted to know the cost to school board to pay all of the assistant coaches?
Hebert did not have an answer.
Hebert will present the projected cost to the school board at Thursday’s school board meeting.
The school board, after hearing the cost, will decide to support or not support paying for volunteer coaches.

On the night of Friday, August 18, 2017 the Abbeville Police Department will be conducting a Sobriety Checkpoint looking for impaired drivers and other traffic related offenses. The checkpoint will be conducted between the hours of 9:00 PM and 3:00 AM somewhere within the city limits of Abbeville.
This checkpoint is part of a year-long grant program provided through the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, designed to improve driver safety and reduce impaired driving.
The Abbeville Police Department and Chief Tony Hardy would like to remind all citizens to obey all traffic laws and use caution when out on the city streets and highways.