Louisiana chef among those killed in massive I-55 pile-up
Andrew Henderson
Published Apr 05, 2026
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - In the aftermath of a devastating 168-car pile-up on I-55 in Manchac that claimed the lives of eight individuals, the friends and family of one victim, Qutub Nagy, are horrified, grief-stricken, and concerned.
Nagy, a father of two who worked as a chef in Hammond and Kenner, died from his injuries sustained during the catastrophic pile-up.
Nagy is remembered as a loving husband and father to two children, ages 10 and 14. He was caught in Monday morning’s massive collision and died about ten hours later at North Oaks Hospital.
“He just loved his family. He was a great family man, a father, a husband, and a friend to all of us,” Nagy’s friend Raj Pannu reflected.
Nagy was a busy executive chef at Punjabi Dhaba in Kenner and Hammond, frequently commuting between the locations on I-55.
On Monday morning, however, Nagy’s visibility on the Manchac bridge, like the 168 drivers involved in the crash, was likely reduced to nearly nothing as dense fog and smoke from marsh fires mixed to create what’s called “superfog.”
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“There were potions of the bridge that had zero visibility,” described Carlton Dufrechou, General Manager of the 24-mile long causeway over Lake Pontchartrain. “I’ve never heard that from my officers before. Sometimes you’re at 100 or 50 feet visibility, but never zero.”
The fog led to two crashes on the Causeway, injuring one person and prompting the closure of the bridge. Traffic cones were deployed as authorities grew concerned about drivers on nearby bridges, including I-55 and I-10.
“When you do it long enough, you get a sense,” Dufrechou said. “Yesterday was not a good day.”
Friends and relatives of Nagy wish more could’ve been done on I-55.
“His family needs everything,” Pannu said. “He was the breadwinner. His wife does not work. Private school. She needs all the support that she can get.”
Loved ones have set up a GoFundMe to support the grieving family. Funeral services will be held on Nov. 3.
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