Bossier Parish – On November 27, 2020, shortly after 7:30 p.m., Troopers from Louisiana State
Police Troop G began investigating a two-vehicle, fatal crash on Louisiana Highway 612 east of
U.S. Highway 71. This crash killed 18-year-old Wyatt Ricks of Bossier City and 28-year-old John
Wuest of Haltom City, Texas.
The initial investigation revealed a 2019 Dodge pickup truck, driven by Ricks, was traveling
westbound on Louisiana Highway 612. For reasons still under investigation, Ricks’s vehicle
crossed the centerline into the eastbound travel lane and struck the front of a 2013 Chevrolet pickup
truck, driven by Wuest.
Both Ricks and Wuest were unrestrained and sustained fatal injuries in the crash. Two passengers
in Ricks’s vehicle, one restrained and the other unrestrained, were taken to a local hospital with
moderate injuries. Toxicology samples were obtained and submitted for analysis. This crash
remains under investigation.
While the cause of this crash remains under investigation, distracted and inattentive driving
continues to be a leading cause of crashes in our state. Louisiana State Police urges all motorists
to stay alert while driving.
Buckling up is the most effective way to protect yourself during a vehicle crash. Failure to take a
few seconds to buckle up can have devastating consequences. Louisiana law requires every person
in a vehicle, regardless of seating position, to be properly restrained day or night.
In 2020, Troop G has investigated 26 fatal crashes resulting in 32 deaths.
