19-year-old LSU freshman from Red Oak killed in Louisiana crash while driving home for break
(Source: Courtney Hodge's family)
RED OAK, Texas - A 19-year-old Texas woman was killed Friday afternoon after her car rear-ended a commercial vehicle on a Louisiana highway, state police said.
Red Oak teen killed in crash
Louisiana State Police Troop I began investigating the fatal two-vehicle crash shortly after 3 p.m. on Louisiana Highway 190 near Jennings Road. The crash claimed the life of Courtney Hodge of Red Oak, Texas.
Hodge's family tells FOX 4 she graduated from Red Oak in 2025 and was heading home from her freshman year at LSU in Baton Rouge, where she was majoring in Political Science.
(Source: Courtney Hodge's family)
The backstory:
A preliminary investigation revealed that a 2005 Kenworth commercial motor vehicle was traveling west on LA-190 approaching Jennings Road when it began to slow near a crossover. A 2025 Kia K4, driven by Hodge, was traveling west behind the commercial vehicle. For reasons that remain unknown, the Kia failed to slow down and rear-ended the truck.
Authorities said Hodge was not properly restrained and sustained fatal injuries. She died at the scene.
State police noted that the cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Red Oak is in Ellis County, south of Dallas.
The Source: Information in this article is from Louisiana State Police and Courtney Hodge's family.