Fiery Fatal Car Crash

Neighbors in a quiet neighborhood in the Rayville community continue to be in shock as they mourn the loss of a 14-year-old teen who was killed on Sunday, March 24, 2024. The teen, identified as Suh’renity Butler, was killed when the car she was driving crashed into a tree. According to Louisiana State Police officials, Butler, who was said to have been the driver, did not survive the accident and was pronounced dead by paramedics. Four other teen passengers in the vehicle suffered injuries. The accident has affected the whole community because the impact caused the vehicle to catch on fire.

Yvette Lawrence recalled hearing a boom and rushed outside to see the vehicle burning. She said that her children helped in getting the other teenagers out of the vehicle. It was a scary scene because people are not accustomed to seeing incidents like that play out in real life. One minute an individual can just be enjoying life, and in a matter of seconds, life can take a horrifying turn.

Another resident, Angela Littleton, who was at the scene, knew the teens and took a moment to send a message to all the teens she knew. Littleton said the tragedy is a teaching moment for them. She believes adults who have had a taste of life should tell teens to take their time and that they don’t have to rush. “Just stop and tell someone that you love,” she said. Littleton, like many adults, has likely witnessed the tragic loss of a teenager, as we adults would say "before their time." This sentiment is heartfelt because there is nothing more sorrowful than seeing the lives of some or many of our teens, who are only a few years away from adulthood, end under such tragic circumstances. A makeshift memorial still stands where the accident occurred as the neighborhood continues to mourn.