CENTRAL, LA – City leaders announced Tuesday that Central will officially host its first-ever “Altima Awareness Week” following last week’s crash involving Mayor Wade Evans and a Nissan Altima that reportedly ran a red light before striking his vehicle.
Officials stressed that the campaign is not intended to target Nissan owners specifically, but rather “raise awareness about recognizable warning signs” commonly associated with Altima-related driving incidents across South Louisiana.
The city’s new initiative will include defensive driving seminars, intersection survival drills, and educational materials teaching residents how to identify approaching Altimas by sound alone. Citizens who complete the course will receive a complimentary “Almost Altima Proof” T-shirt and koozie.
“We’re encouraging residents to remain calm if they spot one weaving through traffic with mismatched body panels, at least 2 donut spares, both of which are bald, and heavily tinted windows,” said one city spokesperson. “The important thing is creating distance and avoiding sudden movements.”
Central police also plan to begin randomly stopping Nissan Altimas with a minimum of 3 mismatched body parts to verify that they are uninsured and the driver is driving under suspension, while public works crews begin installing temporary “CAUTION: HIGH ALTIMA ACTIVITY AREA” signs near several major intersections throughout the city.
Residents say the program is long overdue, with many claiming they already instinctively wait 45 seconds after green lights “just in case there’s an Altima in the area that no one has reported yet.”
