Wednesday morning, the body of an unidentified young Asian woman was found lying about 20 feet from the roadway on the Louisiana Highway 434 entrance to Interstate 12 by motorists.

St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Jack Strain said the Louisiana State Police got the first call about the body at 9:01 a.m., and the Sheriff’s Office got a call from another person at 9:03. Deputies went out to investigate and found the body at 9:30 a.m. and promptly closed the entrance to traffic for the next four hours.

By noon Wednesday, Strain was waiting for a report from the St. Tammany Coroner’s Office to determine how the young woman died. “It could be a hit and run, but right now we are treating it as a homicide,” Strain said.

However, Thursday afternoon, St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office spokesman Capt. George Bonnett said that Troop L of the Louisiana State Police will take over the case. This could mean that the woman’s death has been ruled a hit and run, but Bonnett said the coroner had not made an official announcement by Thursday afternoon.

Strain did say investigators were talking to a witness who gave deputies a description of a car and driver that may have been involved in the incident.

Deputies are on the lookout for either an early 90s or late 80s full-size Ford Bronco that is either brown over cream, or brown over tan in color.

“We got several descriptions,” Strain explained.

The Bronco has a Louisiana license plate of SHW322, and was driven by a white male in his 30s with a crew cut of light-colored hair. Strain said that the woman was clothed but would not say what she was wearing.

“This is an active investigation, and until we get the coroner’s report and talk to the witnesses, there is not much more we can say.”

This is the second time since 2007 that a body has been found on the side of I-12.

Two Hispanic males were found shot to death back on Dec. 12, 20007.

The bodies were later identified as Miguel Ayala, 30, and Felipe Alonzo, 26. St. Tammany Corner Dr. Peter Galvan said both men had been shot in the head. One of the bodies was found on I-12 near La. 21, and another was found several miles west near the La. 1077 exit on the interstate. A month later, Strain said both men were involved in drug trafficking and were on their way to Texas to purchase drugs when they were murdered.

The case is still under investigation.

Strain said that anybody with any information on the women, the car or the driver should call 911 and they will be connected to the Sheriff’s Office, or people can call Louisiana State Police Troop L at 893-6250.