Investigators later closed sections of two interstates and deployed a drone after the collision killed Ka’Sheena Daniels and injured others.
NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans police are continuing to investigate a complicated Interstate 10 crash that began with a rollover, drew several motorists from their vehicles to help and ended with a secondary collision that killed a 31-year-old woman.
The Sept. 25 crash on I-10 West near Elysian Fields Avenue involved multiple vehicles and several people who had stopped to assist the driver of an overturned car. Police said another vehicle later struck one of the stopped vehicles and pushed it into the people who had gathered nearby. Ka’Sheena Daniels died, and several other people were injured.
Police described the initial crash as beginning when a vehicle traveling at high speed made a sudden lane change and overturned. The rollover prompted motorists to stop and help the trapped driver. Authorities have not publicly identified the drivers involved or released a final determination explaining responsibility for either the rollover or the later collision.
Daniels was among the motorists who stopped. Franchon Williams, a friend who was with her, told Fox 8 that Daniels recognized the driver trapped inside the overturned vehicle as a neighbor. Williams said Daniels got out and helped pull the woman from the car before the secondary crash occurred moments later.
Daniels was struck during the ensuing collision and went over the side of the interstate, according to Williams. Authorities said Daniels was the only person who died in the crash. Details about the number and condition of the other people who were injured have not been fully released.
The investigation extended beyond the night of the collision. On Sept. 29, four days after the crash, police temporarily shut down I-10 West and I-610 West heading toward downtown New Orleans. WDSU reported that the department planned to deploy a drone while investigators examined the scene of the deadly weekend crash.
The interstate closures were expected to last at least an hour while the investigative work was conducted. Traffic on the affected routes was redirected during the closure. Police did not publicly announce a final reconstruction after the roadway examination.
The case involves several distinct stages that investigators must sort out: the events leading to the first vehicle overturning, the positions of vehicles that stopped afterward and the later impact that pushed a vehicle into the people providing assistance. Publicly available reports have not established how much time passed between each stage or identified the drivers involved.
Daniels’ death also put a name to the human toll of the collision. Her mother, O’Sheenana Daniels, said her daughter worked in accounting, was raising her adopted son, Noah, and was known for helping people. Williams said Daniels had recognized the stranded motorist and acted immediately to help her.
No arrest, citation or final finding of fault has been publicly announced in connection with the crash. New Orleans police continue to investigate the rollover, the secondary collision and the circumstances surrounding Daniels’ death.
Author note: Last updated Oct. 3, 2026.