Rayne woman charged in fatal Lafayette Parish crash

Shawnta Davis-Ned, a 40-year-old woman from Rayne, faces multiple charges including vehicular homicide and driving while impaired following a fatal two-vehicle collision in Lafayette Parish. The crash occurred shortly after midnight on October 31, 2026, on Louisiana Highway 343 near Ridge Road.

According to Louisiana State Police, Davis-Ned was driving a 2011 Buick LaCrosse when she allegedly failed to slow down and struck the rear of a 2014 Kia Optima. The driver of the Kia, a 28-year-old woman from Abbeville, sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators noted the victim was not wearing a seatbelt.

Davis-Ned, who was also not wearing a seatbelt and reported no injuries, reportedly failed a breath test that showed a blood alcohol concentration above the legal limit. She has been booked into the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center on charges of vehicular homicide, first-offense driving while impaired, careless operation, and failure to wear a seatbelt.