Alexandria, La. (4/23/2026) — The Eddie Williams Avenue death is raising serious questions about accountability after residents say they warned officials about the situation before anyone was killed.
On March 31, Alexandria Senior High student Collin Lacaze was killed and another student was seriously injured while standing along Eddie Williams Avenue. The area is known for spectators gathering near Interstate 49, where illegal street racing has been reported for years.
City officials say the crash was not caused by racing. They say the driver was impaired and that Interstate 49 is controlled by Louisiana State Police, not the city.
But residents are not arguing about where the crash happened.
They are asking why nothing was done about what’s been happening around it.
People have been gathering along Eddie Williams Avenue for years to watch racing. That street is controlled by the city.
“And it’s been going on for years,” one resident said. “It ain’t something that just happened yesterday.”
That’s the issue.
Not just the crash, but what led up to it.
City official Michael Caffery said complaints are handled “in a prompt and timely fashion.”
Residents don’t believe that.
Shicola Jones said she is disappointed in city leadership, specifically calling out both Caffery and the mayor. Her concern is simple: people have been speaking up, and nothing changed.
Then came a key moment.
Council President Cynthia Perry Said
City Council President Cynthia Perry said she had already contacted police about the issue.
When asked what happened after that, her answer made it clear, whatever was done didn’t stop anything.
That led to a direct response from resident Steven Chark Sr.
If a council member couldn’t get results, he questioned, what chance do regular citizens have?
That’s the question now.
Because if someone in office can’t get action, what is the average person supposed to do, keep calling and hope for a different outcome?
Councilman Jules Green said he recently started getting calls about the issue and made one thing clear: it doesn’t matter who is responsible, it needs to be handled.
“It needs to be addressed,” he said.
But by the end of the meeting, there was still no clear plan.
After the meeting, Samtown/Woodside Neighborhood Group Vice President Candice Cheney told UrbanCast this is only the beginning.
She said this meeting is part of a series focused on illegal drag racing in the neighborhood. The group plans to bring in people from other communities who have dealt with the same problem and more importantly, how they solved it.
Because right now, the concern is not just what happened.
It’s what happens next.
With school letting out soon and more young people expected to be outside, residents are making one thing clear:
They don’t just want to talk about the problem.
They want something done.
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