ALEXANDRIA – A violent pre-dawn crash on southbound Interstate 49 has claimed the life of 28-year-old Danielle Jones, leaving central Louisiana reeling from the sudden loss of a woman friends call “the heartbeat of every gathering she ever walked into.”
Louisiana State Police say the nightmare began around 4:29 a.m. Sunday, November 30, 2025. Heavy overnight rain had turned the highway into a sheet of water when Danielle’s red GMC Acadia hydroplaned, slid sideways, and slammed into the guardrail near the MacArthur Drive exit.
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The impact left her SUV disabled and angled across the travel lanes in near-zero visibility.
Seconds later, two southbound vehicles (one a pickup, the other a sedan) unable to see the stopped Acadia in time plowed into it almost simultaneously. The secondary collision crushed the driver-side door and trapped Danielle inside.
Firefighters worked frantically with the Jaws of Life for nearly 30 minutes to free her. She was airlifted to Rapides Regional Trauma Center, but succumbed to her injuries a short time later.
Both other drivers were treated for non-life-threatening injuries. No charges have been filed as troopers continue to investigate speed and weather-related factors.
By sunrise, the median was lined with flowers, candles, and handwritten notes that read simply, “D.J. Forever 28.”
Danielle, a 2015 graduate of Alexandria Senior High, worked as a patient-care coordinator at a local pediatric clinic, where coworkers say she memorized every child’s birthday and kept a stash of suckers for scared little patients.
“She didn’t just do her job; she loved those babies like they were her own,” one nurse posted through tears.
Off the clock, Danielle was the friend who planned the group trips, sent the 2 a.m. “you okay?” texts, and could turn a random Tuesday into a dance
party in the kitchen.
A GoFundMe verified by the family had surpassed $60,000 by Monday evening to help with final expenses and to establish a scholarship in her name for aspiring healthcare students.
Tonight at 7 p.m., hundreds are expected to gather at the Bringhurst Park pavilion for a balloon release in Danielle’s favorite color: sunrise orange.
“Drive slow in the rain, hug your people extra, and live big,” her sister wrote online. “That’s what Danielle would tell every single one of us right now.”
Rest easy, D.J. The sun shines a little dimmer today. 🧡🕊️