Wreck stalls traffic for two hours; fire destroys apartment unit

U.S. 90 east in Bayou Vista was blocked for roughly two hours Wednesday while authorities worked a two-vehicle crash with moderate injuries.

Then, just about an hour after the highway was reopened, firefighters responded to a Patterson fire that destroyed an apartment unit. There were no injuries in the fire.

The St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to a two-vehicle crash at 3:40 p.m. Wednesday on U.S. 90 east near Cash Magic Casino in Bayou Vista. One person was transported to a hospital via air-med, and another person was transported by ground ambulance to a hospital, said Detective Whytley Jones, sheriff’s office spokeswoman.

Traffic was stalled on U.S. 90 east for about two hours. Authorities diverted traffic to La. 182 during that time, she said. The sheriff’s office turned the crash over to State Police Troop I. Injuries in the crash were moderate, said Master Trooper Brooks David, Troop I spokesman.

At 6:40 p.m. Wednesday, firefighters responded to a grease fire at an apartment unit in the 100 block of Andrew Street in Patterson. The fire started on a stove, and the occupant was able to escape uninjured, Patterson Fire Chief Scott Domingue said.

The fire destroyed the apartment unit, but no one was injured, he said. Berwick and Bayou Vista firefighters also assisted in fighting the fire. Two other units at the apartment complex had smoke damage from the fire, Domingue said.

Firefighters cleared the scene shortly after 8 p.m. Wednesday.