Rush-Hour Wreck in Louisiana Blamed on Mobile Makeup Session

A rush-hour accident snarled traffic earlier this week on Louisiana Highway 21 in Covington, La., for about an hour as rescue workers extricated a woman from a car that flipped after slamming into the back of an SUV.

Investigators say 30-year-old Maria Impastato of Madisonville told officers that she was applying makeup when her car slammed into the back of a Dodge Durango that had slowed to a stop on the highway.

Covington police spokesman Lieutenant Jack West says the crash caused the car to roll onto its passenger side, slide on the highway and then flip.

Firefighters pulled Impastato, who was upside down in her seat — secured by her seat belt — from the car.

Officers cited Impastato for careless operation.

Information from: The Times-Picayune, www.timespicayune.com