In a devastating incident on April 5, 2023, Rodney Seahorn, 48, left a White Oak residence, embarking on a fateful journey northward towards Gilmer. At the intersection of FM 1844 and State Highway 300, Seahorn, allegedly traveling illegally and in the wrong lane, collided with a husband and wife on their way to Longview to celebrate the wife's birthday. The wife, who was 7 and a half months pregnant, sustained critical injuries.
Emergency responders had to extricate the victims from their vehicle, and the severity of the crash resulted in crushing injuries. The unborn child had to be surgically delivered and spent an extended period in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The father, suffering from serious injuries, was transported to LSU Shreveport for specialized care.
After months of legal proceedings, Seahorn entered into a plea bargain agreement with the State on December 7, 2023. The court sentenced him to eight years for the charges of Intoxication Assault with a deadly weapon finding for the mother and her child, and an additional eight years, stacked consecutively, for the father. The charges carried a maximum punishment range of 10 years, and Seahorn was eligible for probation before a jury.
Upshur County Criminal DA Billy W. Byrd reminds, especially during the holiday season, about the 100% preventable nature of driving under the influence. The victims, while alive and healing, carry wounds and scars that will forever remind them of the defendant's actions. The plea agreement brings a measure of closure to a painful chapter, but the aftermath of the collision will endure for the affected family.
