Man, 63, found dead in pickup truck submerged in Lake Pontchartrain

A 63-year-old man was found dead inside a pickup truck that plunged into Lake Pontchartrain, the New Orleans Police Department reported.

On Thursday morning (April 27) around 11:40 a.m., a white Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck sped toward the lake on Franklin Avenue. As the vehicle reached the intersection at Lakeshore Boulevard, the the driver disregarded the stop sign, drove through the intersection, and knocked down a cement barrier before driving into the lake.

The NOPD, the NOFD, U.S. Coast Guard, JPSO and the Orleans Levee District Police worked to recover the vehicle. When it was pulled from the lake, the man was found inside. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

The incident remains under investigation.  The Orleans Parish Coroner will release the victim’s name and conduct an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

NOPD Traffic Fatality Detective Michael Baldasaro oversees the investigation and can be reached at 658-6210.