Late on Tuesday morning, authorities in Louisiana confirmed that the 26-year-old woman found dead early that day on the Twin Spans bridge has been ruled a homicide victim in a hit-and-run. Her name: Edashia Caraway, from Appleton, Wisconsin, who was in the state to celebrate her birthday.
At around 2 a.m. on October 21, the Louisiana State Police were called to the eastbound span of Interstate-10 near mile marker 260, in St. Tammany Parish. There, they discovered a body later identified as Caraway. According to official statements, she had been walking in the eastbound lanes—roughly three miles from the Old Spanish Trail exit—when she was struck.
Investigators believe that her death was not the result of a single collision. Preliminary findings suggest that another vehicle may have hit her first, and then a 2026 Mazda CX-5, traveling in the same direction, struck her in a subsequent impact. Caraway was pronounced dead at the scene. The Mazda’s driver, who was wearing a seatbelt, reportedly suffered no injuries. Toxicology samples were collected from both parties as part of the ongoing investigation.
Officials also confirmed that Caraway was supposed to be celebrating her 27th birthday the next day, on October 22. She had made plans to travel to New Orleans for a concert as part of her birthday trip. In the days leading up to the incident, authorities worked with her family to trace her hotel in New Orleans and to preserve the room for evidence collection.
The St. Tammany Parish Coroner’s office, through Dr. Christopher Tape, requested the involvement of a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner to check for additional evidence from the victim’s body. The autopsy, conducted Tuesday afternoon, confirmed multiple blunt-force injuries consistent with a vehicle-versus-pedestrian collision. The coroner officially categorized her death as homicide by hit-and-run.
Louisiana State Police say the scene remains under active processing, with evidence collection underway. They are urging anyone who may have information about the case to come forward. Tips can be directed to Louisiana State Police Troop L at (985) 893-6250.
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