Authorities in Vermilion Parish are investigating a tragic crash that claimed the life of a young man after his truck was found overturned in a canal near Clesmae Road in Gueydan.
According to the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office, emergency crews responded to the scene late Wednesday night after reports of a vehicle submerged in the canal. Upon arrival, deputies and first responders located the overturned truck and discovered the body of 21-year-old Mason Hanks, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Preliminary findings indicate that Hanks had turned from Clesmae Road onto a nearby driveway when his vehicle veered off the road and flipped into the canal. For reasons still under investigation, Hanks was unable to exit the vehicle after it became submerged, authorities said.
Deputies added that Hanks was last seen around 10 p.m. on Tuesday, and data from the Life360 app on his phone showed his last activity at 10:26 p.m. that same night. Investigators believe the crash occurred during the late evening hours of Tuesday before the discovery was made the following day.
The Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash. Family, friends, and the Gueydan community are mourning the sudden loss of Mason Hanks, remembering him as a kind-hearted young man whose life ended far too soon.
