PRAIRIEVILLE – Police say a Gonzales teenager will be charged with vehicular homicide after they say he drove while impaired and caused a deadly wreck in Prairieville Sunday.

Louisiana State Police say 18-year-old Jerry Mendez was driving south on US 61 when he lost control of his pickup-truck and ran off the side of the roadway near the Flea Market of Louisiana. Police say Mendez’s truck hit 46-year-old Tomas Hernandez-Lozano’s SUV on the driver’s side, causing it to flip.

Investigators say Hernandez-Lozano was wearing a seatbelt but received fatal injuries. The Ascension Parish Coroner’s office pronounced him dead at the scene.

A passenger in the SUV also received injuries and was transported to a local hospital. Police did not release the passenger’s condition.

Mendez was also wearing a seatbelt and received only minor injuries.

State Police say Mendez was impaired and he was arrested for vehicular homicide, vehicular negligent injuring, driving while intoxicated, reckless operation and operating a vehicle without a driver’s license.

Investigators took a toxicology sample from both Mendez and Hernandez-Lozano for analysis.