Steven Fernandez was driving a 2016 BMW 328i that slammed into a 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe coming from the opposite direction that crossed the center median on Interstate 10 in Slidell shortly after noon, Louisiana State Police said.
Another vehicle then hit the Tahoe, driven by a 66-year-old Louisiana man, Trooper First Class Dustin Dwight said.
Fernandez, whose father died on a commercial flight from Florida to New York this past January, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The 2008 Bergen Catholic High School graduate was wearing a seatbelt, Dwight said.
His passenger, 26-year-old Danielle Carballeira of Staten Island, sustained "moderate" injuries and was hospitalized, the trooper said.
The Tahoe driver also wasn't seriously hurt, he said, adding that the rain -- and not alcohol or drugs -- apparently contributed to the crash.
He provided a voluntary breath sample, Dwight said.
"The roadway was wet and it was raining heavily," he said.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Bergenfield and receive free news updates.