Tangipahoa Parish, LA — April 15, 2025, One person was killed following a car accident that occurred at around 10:00 P.M. on LA 10.

An investigation is underway following a car accident that left one person dead during the evening hours of April 15th. According to official reports, Chad Easley was traveling in a Dodge Ram on Louisiana HIghway 10 in the eastbound lanes, when for unknown reasons the vehicle lost control and left the roadway and struck a tree.

When first responders arrived on the scene, they found that Easley had sustained fatal injuries and he was pronounced deceased. At this time there has been no further information released from the accident, including what caused the vehicle to lose control, however this remains an ongoing investigation and more details may be released by authorities in the future.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When a vehicle leaves the roadway, collides with a fixed object, and results in a fatality, there’s often a quick assumption that the driver made a mistake. But those of us who investigate serious crashes know that such assumptions can be misleading. In a case like this—where a Dodge Ram lost control on Louisiana Highway 10 and struck a tree—the only way to truly understand what happened is to ask three foundational questions: Did the authorities conduct a thorough investigation? Has anyone explored whether a vehicle defect could have played a role? And has all available electronic data from the vehicle been collected?

Starting with the investigation, the fact that the vehicle left the road for “unknown reasons” makes it immediately clear that key facts are still missing. The investigation should focus on determining whether external factors—like road conditions, obstructions, or visibility—contributed to the crash. Just as importantly, investigators need to reconstruct the vehicle’s path leading up to the crash to understand what kind of control inputs, if any, were made before impact. Without a complete reconstruction, critical details that could clarify what occurred may never come to light.

The next question is whether a mechanical or electronic failure in the vehicle contributed to the loss of control. Vehicles like the Dodge Ram rely on complex systems for steering, braking, and stability. A failure in any one of these systems—especially at highway speeds—can cause a vehicle to veer off course with little or no warning. Unfortunately, unless someone raises the possibility early on, vehicle defects often go uninvestigated. And once the vehicle is removed from the scene and handled without preservation of evidence, the opportunity to identify those defects can disappear entirely.

Lastly, electronic data from the vehicle is a vital resource in understanding what happened. The Dodge Ram likely contains an electronic control module (ECM) that stores pre-crash data such as speed, throttle input, brake usage, and steering activity. This data can reveal whether the driver attempted to regain control, if the vehicle responded properly, or if there were signs of a malfunction. However, ECM data isn’t automatically secured; it must be downloaded before it's lost or overwritten. In addition, digital evidence from dash cameras, nearby surveillance, or even the driver’s mobile device could further support the investigation—if it’s collected in time.

In a crash that results in the loss of life, unanswered questions are not just inevitable—they’re unacceptable. The only way to bring clarity to what happened is through a thorough investigation, a deliberate look at possible mechanical failures, and a proactive approach to preserving electronic data. That process doesn’t just serve the legal system—it serves the people left behind, who deserve answers grounded in evidence, not assumptions.