Selena Taylor, a 28-year-old woman from Abbeville, lost her life shortly after midnight Saturday when her car was struck from behind on Louisiana Highway 343 near Ridge Road in Lafayette Parish. What began as an ordinary drive ended in a fatal collision that has left her life cut short.
According to Louisiana State Police, the crash happened shortly after 12 a.m. on October 31, 2026, near Duson. Taylor was driving a 2014 Kia Optima southbound on Highway 343 and slowing down as she approached a stop sign at Ridge Road.
Behind her, a 2011 Buick LaCrosse was traveling in the same direction. The Buick was driven by 40-year-old Shawnta Davis-Ned of Rayne. Investigators said the driver failed to slow down for reasons that remain under investigation before striking the back of Taylor’s Kia.
The impact left Taylor with fatal injuries. Emergency responders arrived at the scene, but she could not be saved. Authorities pronounced her dead at the scene. Police also confirmed that she was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the collision.
Davis-Ned, who was also not wearing a seatbelt, reportedly suffered no injuries. During the investigation, she provided a breath sample that showed her blood alcohol concentration was above Louisiana’s legal limit.
State police arrested Davis-Ned and booked her into the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center. She faces charges of vehicular homicide, first-offense driving while impaired, careless operation and failure to wear a seatbelt.
Authorities have not released further details about the events leading up to the collision. They also confirmed that the investigation remains ongoing. A toxicology sample was collected from Taylor and submitted for analysis.
Taylor was only 28. Her death in the early hours of Saturday serves as a painful reminder of how quickly a routine journey can turn into a tragedy. For those who knew and loved her, the loss of a young life is something no police report can fully describe.
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