Two die in Saturday crash

Two women die in Tiger Bend crash

The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office released the identities Sunday of two women killed Saturday afternoon in a car accident on South Tiger Bend Road near Babin Road.

Mary Lemoine, 75, of Slidell, and her passenger, Ruth Johnson, 76, of Flowood, Miss., were pronounced dead at the scene by the East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner’s Office, sheriff’s spokesman Col. Lawrence McLeary said in a news release.

Imogene Sanchez, 75, of Baton Rouge, was driving a 2009 Saturn north on Tiger Bend around 3:20 p.m. when, for reasons unknown, she crossed the centerline and struck head-on the 1997 Honda driven by Lemoine, McLeary said.

Sanchez suffered substantial injuries and is still hospitalized, McLeary said.

The crash is still under investigation, he said.

Mary Lemoine’s husband, Alton Lemoine, said Sunday that his wife and Johnson were on their way to visit Johnson’s son, who lives on Tiger Bend Road.

Alton Lemoine, 81, said he spoke to a woman Sunday who said she was on the phone with his wife as the crash happened. He did not identify the woman.

The woman told him she heard the noises of the crash over the phone, he said.

Lemoine said he met his wife while they both lived in Bunkie.

They had been married for 53 years and lived in New Orleans, his hometown, for about 15 years until moving to Slidell.

Mary Lemoine was a nurse for about 50 years until she recently retired, her husband said.

“Everybody liked her,” he said. “She was a real friendly person.”

“I’m going to really miss her,” Lemoine added, choking up.

Attempts to reach members of Johnson’s and Sanchez’s families were unsuccessful Sunday.