Three vehicle accidents with three fatalities and two people injured on a six-mile stretch of U.S. 84, all within 13 days.

What’s the connection?

That is what the Louisiana State Police and residents of the area do not know.

We are &uot;trying to come up with some kind of pattern,&uot; said Troop E Public Information Officer James Farris of the accidents earlier this month on U.S. 84 between Ferriday and Jonesville.

&uot;Problem is, (the) only similarity is they happened in about a five-mile stretch.&uot;

Farris said the number of fatalities is up this year from last in the Troop E’s region of 10 parishes. Already, there are 18 fatalities and 23 deaths as of last week. By the same time last year, there were only nine fatalities.

&uot;Every one of our violations we have had this year, the primary cause is driver related,&uot; Farris said. That is not something the police can necessarily enforce.

And, unfortunately, the number of fatalities statewide is at or above this time last year as well, according to Lt. William Davis, a public information officer with the Louisiana State Police.

Mike Russell, a survivor of the accident on March 12 that killed the driver, Elizabeth Perdue, of the car that collided with his truck, attributes his seatbelt to saving his life.

&uot;My seat belt and airbag were the reason I was able to walk away from a head-on collision that destroyed both vehicles,&uot; Russell said.

Russell’s advice, &uot;first thing put your seat belt on because that is what saved my life. There is no doubt in my mind.&uot;

Davis echoed the need for seatbelts, saying the lack of seat belt use has been the &uot;single most largest impact on the number of fatals we have.&uot;

Russell said there are careless drivers on the stretch of U.S. 84 between Ferriday and Jonesville.

&uot;Ever since mine, I drive a good bit slower,&uot; Russell said. &uot;When you’re driving slower, you see a lot of crazy drivers.&uot;

Just a few days ago, Russell said, a driver began to pass him and did not have enough time to get back into the lane in front of him because a vehicle was traveling in the opposite lane. So, the driver drove around the other vehicle, on the shoulder, putting three cars side-by-side across two lanes.

Russell said another problem, besides crazy drivers, is speeding on U.S. 84.

&uot;I know people now a days are in a hurry, but after you have been in an accident, you really have to be on the outlook for other people,&uot; he said.

While many community members said the road itself is not dangerous, having just been overlayed, Russell said there is a problem with the roadway.

It’s a &uot;pretty bad little curve there but it’s nothing extremely dangerous,&uot; he said of the site of his accident, finding a real solution is to four lane the highway.

&uot;That traffic is so close on a two-lane highway with all that traffic going through there,&uot; he said. &uot;It’s always a chance at any moment that something could go wrong.

&uot;In my mind it needs to be four-laned just because of the amount of traffic.&uot;

But four-laning U.S. 84 is a project that will not be finished for years. The new bridge in Jonesville that is awaiting right-of-ways and four lanes through Jonesville might be accessible by 2006, Jonesville Mayor Mike Wilson said in February.

Farris offered these safety tips in addition to Russell’s advice of buckling up, watching the other driver and decreasing speed:

4 Don’t drink and drive.

4 Watch the speed limits because in construction zones, the speed limits are 45 mph. All three of the accidents hapened in a 45-mph zone.

4 Stay in your travel lane.

Farris said because the number of fatalities is high for the entire troop, they are stepping up enforcement in the entire area, not just on U.S. 84.

The first accident in this string of three close, timewise accidents happened at 7:30 a.m.March 8 when driver Robert Gaylor of Natchez ran off the roadway and struck a private drive. Gaylor died in the accident while his passenger, Eddie Green of Natchez sustained moderate injuries.

On March 12, Perdue of Jonesville drifted into the oncoming lane of traffic near Frogmore and collided head-on with Russell around 9 a.m.

The vehicles burst into flames, and Perdue died and Russell injured his kneecap.

Farris said the police do not know if Perdue or Gaylor were wearing seatbelts.

On March 20, Jeffrey Wilkerson of Jonesville crossed the center line of U.S. 84 near Wildsville and struck a trailer pulled by Jeffrey Windham of Jena. Wilkerson was not wearing his seatbelt but died of blood loss from injuries sustained in the accident, Farris said. Windham and his three passengers were wearing their seatbelts and were not injured.