YOUNGSVILLE -- A Lafayette man died New Year's Eve when he hit a tree and was thrown from the car, State Police said.

The crash happened around 8:30 p.m. on La. Hwy. 82 near Lulu Road in Vermilion Parish.

Jakima Morrissey, 40, was headed west on Hwy. 82 in his 2023 Audi. He ran off the road and smashed into a tree. Morrissey, who was not wearing a seat belt, was thrown from the car, which then caught fire as a result of the crash.

Morrissey was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.

Troop I, which handled this crash, counted 62 people killed in 57 traffic crashes in 2023. The majority of those killed were not wearing seat belts and many were driving while impaired, police said.

"The most difficult part of law enforcement is making a death notification. Sixty-two times, Troopers had to break the tragic news to unsuspecting families that their life is now forever changed," the news release said. "Please do not be a statistic in 2024."