A 16-year-old girl from Angie died Tuesday at a New Orleans hospital from injuries she sustained in a two-car crash Sept. 3 on Louisiana Highway 21, according to Louisiana State Police.

State Police spokesman, Sgt. Louis Calato said that Theresa A. Mohon, 16, of Angie, was a passenger in a car that was hit by a pickup truck driven by a LaPlace man, who is suspected to have been driving under the influence of drugs.

Calato said that around 3 p.m. Sept. 3, Troy W. Vollentine, 40, of LaPlace was driving north on La. 21 just north of Louisiana Highway 41 in his 2002 Chevrolet pickup, when for unknown reasons, the truck crossed over the centerline and hit a 2008 Nissan Altima driven by a 16-year-old girl, with Mohon as passenger in the front seat, and a 9-year-old boy in the backseat. The impact caused both vehicles to rotate clockwise with the truck coming to rest in the southbound shoulder and the Nissan stopped in the northbound lane. The teenage driver sustained moderate injuries and was taken to St. Tammany Hospital for treatment. The 9-year-old boy had minor injuries. Mohon was taken to University Hospital in New Orleans. Calato said doctors informed him Tuesday that Mohon had died from her injuries. Vollentine was taken to St. Tammany Hospital with moderate injuries.

State police investigators believe that drugs were a factor in the crash. Blood samples from Vollentine were sent for analysis, but Calato said Vollentine’s behavior was erratic.

“He was definitely impaired,” Calato said.

When Vollentine was released from the hospital, he was charged with three counts of vehicular negligent injuring, driving while intoxicated, resisting an officer, interference and/or obstruction of an officer, driving left of center and driving under suspension. When police were informed of Mohon’s death, they informed the St. Tammany District Attorney, that Vollentine’s charges were upgraded with one count of vehicular negligent homicide and two counts of vehicular negligent injuring.

Calato said Vollentine was charged with obstruction because he was not forthcoming with information when questioned by state troopers.

Vollentine, Mohon and the boy were not wearing seatbelts, but the driver was strapped in, Calato said. The boy was lucky because the back of the front seat stopped his forward motion, Calato said. However, Calato said if Mohon had been wearing her seatbelt, she might have lived. He stressed the importance of everybody in a vehicle wearing a seatbelt.

“It was a needless loss of life,” Calato said.