BAKER - A Sunday (Jan. 10) night crash claimed the life of a 56-year-old man from Baker, according to Louisiana State Police.

Troopers say it was shortly before 7:30 p.m. that Tomas Grant was behind the wheel of a Mercedes and headed north on LA Hwy 19, just north of Thomas Road when the tragic crash occurred.

An investigation revealed that, for unknown reasons, at some point the Mercedes hit a Nissan Titan that was in front of it. After hitting the Nissan, the Mercedes reportedly veered into Hwy 19's southbound lanes and swerved off road. A report from State Police goes on to say the Mercedes then careened into a canal embankment and overturned. Sadly, Grant was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced deceased at the scene of the crash.

Authorities issued a news release regarding the deadly incident, stating that Grant, who was reportedly not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, may have been impaired. State Police add that a toxicology sample was obtained for analysis.

According to troopers, the driver and passenger of the Nissan were both wearing seatbelts and sustained moderate injuries; the passenger was brought to a local hospital for treatment.

Authorities say the crash remains under investigation.