And I thought it was bad hitting deer

An Assumption Parish man was killed Sunday morning after losing control of his car when it struck an alligator that was crossing the highway.

Samuel Burgess, 26, of Bayou Lourse, was pronounced dead at the scene about 12:15 a.m. after the 1995 Ford Taurus he was driving slammed into a tree along LA 662, Louisiana state trooper Rodney Hyatt said.

Burgess was alone in the car, Hyatt said. Burgess, a native of Illinois, was an offshore oil-field worker, said Sgt. Barry Hebert.

State Trooper Dawn Leonard is investigating the accident. Results of a state mandated blood-alcohol test are pending.