GUEYDAN, La. — The tight-knit community of Gueydan is reeling after news broke that 21-year-old Mason Hanks lost his life when the truck he was driving veered off the road and plunged into a canal late Tuesday night. What began as a routine drive ended in tragedy, and local authorities are working to piece together exactly how this young life was cut short.
Emergency crews were alerted early Wednesday when someone reported a submerged vehicle in the canal off Clesmae Road. Responders arrived to find the truck overturned beneath the water and, tragically, Mason’s body. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office confirmed his identity and age.
According to investigators, Mason had turned off Clesmae Road onto what appeared to be a driveway when his vehicle unexpectedly left the asphalt. For reasons still unknown, it flipped into the canal and became submerged before he could escape. The circumstances surrounding the maneuver remain a mystery.
Data from his phone adds to the grim timeline: Mason was last seen around 10 p.m. on Tuesday, and his Life360 app logged activity at 10:26 p.m. Investigators believe the crash occurred in that window of time, although the wreckage was not discovered until the following morning.
Sheriff’s deputies say the investigation is ongoing. They are working to confirm whether road conditions, mechanical failure, or other factors played a role. No conclusions have been drawn yet.
News outlets and the Sheriff’s Office have repeated the same timeline: Mason turned off Clesmae Road, the truck veered, flipped, and submerged, and he was unable to exit before the vehicle filled with water. His disappearance was noted after his last known app activity, prompting concern and an eventual search.
Now, in the aftermath, family, friends, and residents of Gueydan are mourning a life lost too soon. Mason is being remembered for his kindness, his warmth, and the quiet potential he carried. As investigators dig deeper, the community waits for answers—and mourns a young man who died far before his time.