PRAIRIEVILLE- An alleged drunk driver was taken into custody and charged on a second-offense DWI after smashing into the back of an ambulance heading to a hospital in Gonzales.

The crash happened an hour into the new year on I-10 near Highway 73. State troopers charged Louis Long III with second-offense DWI, following too closely, and driving without a license.

"We were traveling between 60 and 70 back and forth, and the vehicle was estimated going 100 mile per hour and struck the back of the ambulance with a patient on board," Justin Cox with Acadian Ambulance said.

The patient was not seriously hurt, however, a paramedic received minor injuries.

"Because of the re-enforcements that these ambulances are built to, the outcome was better as far as protecting the patient and paramedic in the back of the ambulance at the time," Cox said.

When Long was arrested, he was taken to the Ascension Parish Jail where he blew a .131. In Louisiana, .08 is the legal driving limit.

The Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office says it was the trooper's discretion to not book Long into jail.

Instead, he was given a summons to appear in court on March 2, 2021.