Courtney Hodge was 19 years old, heading home to Red Oak, Texas, after finishing her first year of college. She had her whole summer ahead of her. She never made it.
On Friday afternoon, May 23, the Louisiana State Police responded to a fatal two-vehicle crash on Louisiana Highway 190 near Jennings Road.
Hodge, a freshman at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, was driving westbound in her 2025 Kia K4 when the vehicle failed to slow down behind a 2005 Kenworth commercial truck that was decelerating near a crossover.
The Kia struck the rear of the truck. Hodge was not wearing a seat belt and suffered fatal injuries. She was pronounced dead at the scene. She was three hours from home.
State police with Troop I are still investigating why the vehicle did not slow down. No formal cause has been determined.
The Daughter, the Sister, the Friend
To those who knew her, Courtney Hodge was far more than a statistic in a crash report. She graduated from Red Oak High School in 2025, finishing in the top 10 percent of her class.
At LSU, she was studying political science, building toward a future her family had every reason to believe would be bright.
Her mother, Sherqueena Jackson, had texted Courtney earlier that Friday, asking her to refresh her location on Life360, a family tracking app. Courtney never responded.
Not long after, Sherqueena received a call from a number she did not recognize. It was the call no parent is ever ready for.
She and her husband Brian drove to Louisiana immediately.
“My husband drove us down to Louisiana so we could see her and let her know that I was here and that she didn’t have to be by herself and be afraid,” Sherqueena said.
Brian Jackson, speaking through grief, put it simply. “There’s no OK,” he said.
Those who knew Courtney describe someone who filled every room she walked into. She was a former cheerleader and soccer player, someone her family says had a natural ability to connect with people of all backgrounds.
She loved music, particularly Tyler, The Creator, and brought laughter and energy into the lives of the people around her.
Her youngest sister, Carter, who is seven years old, perhaps said it most plainly. “She was the best sister that I could ever have,” Carter said, “and she was my best friend.”
A Community in Mourning
The loss has rippled far beyond the Jackson family home in Red Oak. The Red Oak ISD acknowledged Courtney’s passing on social media, noting that she was the daughter of Sherqueena Jackson, who was set to begin a new role as principal of Schupmann Elementary School.
Ryan Smith, a representative of the Red Oak High School Class of 2025, posted a tribute calling on classmates to support the family and honor Courtney’s memory.
“Courtney had a really big heart, and she was the kind of person that was a friend to all,” her family said.
She was a daughter, a sister, a classmate, a neighbor. She was 19 years old, and she was on her way home.
