A thick fog settled in Lafayette, Louisiana, in the early morning hours of January 6, 2026. The fog made it difficult for drivers to see, and the National Weather Service even issued a dense fog advisory. Even when conditions are less than perfect, many people still have to drive. We hope everyone pays attention in hazardous conditions, but that isn’t always the case, and accidents can happen. Just after 5 on that very foggy morning, a speeding driver reportedly rammed his car into another vehicle stopped at a red light. Tragically, the impact was so strong that the crash left three people dead and investigators questioning how it happened.
According to KADN, the Lafayette Police Department reported 21-year-old Joseph Prejean rear-ended a vehicle waiting to make a turn from E. Broussard Road onto Johnson Street. Prejean allegedly was driving too fast. When the collision occurred, he killed 36-year-old Cherita Washington and her 17-year-old daughter, Chase Washington. Prejean also died in the accident after his car continued through the intersection and hit a utility pole.
Family member Yolanda Washington told KATC that the deaths of Cherita Washington and Chase Washington broke her heart. The mother planned to graduate from nursing school in May, and her teenage daughter was poised to graduate from high school. All the dreams they had shattered in an instant. Yolanda Washington shared a beautiful statement with the station…