(KPEL News) - Officials with the Louisiana State Police are asking for the public's help in identifying a truck that was seen traveling in the area where a motorcyclist was killed in St. Martin Parish in October.

The Crash Happened in October

On the morning of Friday, October 17, an undetermined event caused the victim to slam on his brakes. The man was riding on an off-road motorcycle, according to State Police officials.

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Victim Identified as Harvey Gauthier

When the man braked suddenly, he and the motorcycle then fell to the side of the roadway. The victim, identified as Harvey Gauthier, lay in the roadway. Louisiana State Police then say Gauthier ended up partially in the northbound lane of Highway 347.

State Police Believe an 18-Wheeler Struck the Victim

They suspect the man was then struck by an 18-wheeler that was driving on that side of the roadway. They add that they believe this driver just kept on driving.

Investigators Searching for Light-Colored Pickup Truck

Louisiana State Police investigators say, in addition to the 18-wheeler, they are looking for a light-colored pickup truck that they believe was traveling in the area around 5 o'clock on that Friday morning when the St. Martinville man was hit.


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After being thrown off the bike and likely being hit by the 18-wheeler, according to officials, the man was then pronounced dead by the coroner's office.

Public Asked to Help Identify Truck and 18-Wheeler

If you know anything about this crash, please get in touch with Louisiana State Police Troop I at 337-262-5880. If you prefer to report the information anonymously, you can get online and visit the lsp.org website. Once you are there, look for the section and click on "File a Report". You can also call the LSP Fusion Center Hotline at 1-800-434-8007.

Any information will help, as State Police officials say they are still looking to identify

Light-Colored Pickup Truck
Photo courtesy of the Louisiana State Police
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a light-colored truck and the 18-wheeler. They have issued a screenshot to see if anyone can help them identify anything.

Routine Blood Samples Collected for Analysis

As is typical and routine in a fatal or severe crash, Louisiana State Police officials say they took routine blood samples to be sent to a lab for analysis. The investigation into the crash is ongoing.

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