Metairie, LA : Woman Church organist was killed in a crash at Airline Highway On Wednesday, April 27th, 2016

A woman was killed Wednesday night (April 27) in a crash involving a hearse and a dump truck on Airline Highway in Metairie.

Melvin Brown, who said he is the victim's father, identified her as Melrita Dillard-Spencer. He said she played organ at New Macedonia Baptist Church in Metairie.

Dillard-Spencer was a passenger in the hearse, said Antoinette Lewis, sister-in-law of the driver. Lewis said her brother-in-law, who drives for Charbonett Funeral Home in New Orleans and is a bishop at the church, handed his phone to a witness

following the accident with instructions to call his family.

The driver was taken to Ochsner Medical Center. His sister, Rosemary Wordlaw, said she was unsure of his condition. "My brother just called him and said he's in great pain," Wordlaw said.

Wordlaw said she was at Bible study with her brother and Dillard-Spencer when he got a call to pick up a body. "He had to stop Bible study to answer the call," she said.

East-bound Airline Highway was closed and traffic was being diverted onto L and A Road.

Source :
Church organist killed in Airline Highway wreck