Wayland Bearden Obituary, Death – A serious traffic accident shut down the Jimmie Davis Bridge over the Red River for several hours on Wednesday afternoon following a two-vehicle collision. The Shreveport Police Department reported that officers were dispatched to the scene at approximately 11:09 a.m. The crash occurred in the 3200 block of East 70th Street on the Jimmie Davis Bridge and involved a passenger car and a large commercial truck. Upon arrival, authorities found that the driver of a 2015 Chevrolet Cruze was unresponsive. Emergency responders from both the Shreveport and Bossier Fire Departments attempted to revive the man, but he was declared dead at the scene.
The Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office identified the deceased as 71-year-old Wayland Bearden, a resident of Bossier City.
Initial findings from the Shreveport Police Department’s Crash Investigation Unit suggest that Bearden’s vehicle was heading west on the bridge when, for reasons that are not yet clear, it crossed the center line into the eastbound lane and struck a 2020 Kenworth semi-truck head-on. The semi-truck was equipped as a tanker vehicle.
A driver who had been traveling behind the Chevrolet Cruze told police that the car appeared to be moving erratically, which raised concerns that the driver may have been experiencing a medical issue just before the crash. The witness had a dashboard camera in their vehicle, which captured the collision as it happened. That footage has been handed over to investigators to aid in the ongoing inquiry.
The semi-truck driver survived the incident and was taken to Ochsner LSU Health for evaluation. As part of standard procedure, he provided a voluntary blood sample for testing. Authorities stated that there are currently no indications that the truck driver was under the influence of any substances at the time of the crash.
It was also noted by police that Bearden had not been wearing a seatbelt when the collision occurred, which may have contributed to the fatal outcome.
The Shreveport Police Department continues to investigate the crash, reviewing all evidence including the dashcam footage and awaiting any medical findings that could explain the Cruze driver’s actions. Authorities have not yet confirmed whether a medical episode did indeed lead to the crash, and the full cause is still under review.
Due to the severity of the crash and the resulting investigation, traffic on the Jimmie Davis Bridge was halted for several hours, causing significant disruption in the area. The bridge has since reopened, but police urge all drivers to use caution, wear seatbelts, and seek medical attention if they experience any symptoms while driving.
