It’s been reported that Rhiannon Boudreaux and Harley Morgan, of Orange, Texas, were still wearing their wedding clothes when the “childhood sweethearts” were killed in a crash shortly after their marriage ceremony. The Texas couple were hit by a truck pulling a tractor-laden trailer, after the groom tried to drive out of the parking lot for the Justice of the Peace building. Upon entering the five-lane highway, the crash occurred, sending their vehicle rolling multiple times until it came to rest in a ditch.
Time reported that 19-year-old Morgan and 20-year-old Boudreaux were pronounced dead on Friday, August 23, 2019, by the same justice of the peace who performed their marriage ceremony. Orange Police Captain, Keith Longlois, told the Associated Press, “The family was right behind them. They were all going out to go to wherever they were going to have their reception.” The driver at the wheel of the Ford truck that hit them has not been identified, however, he has cooperated fully with the investigation. There has been no sign of wrongdoing on his part.
Photo: Facebook/Jessica Koester
In an interview with the Beaumont Enterprise, the mother of the groom, LaShawna Morgan noted, “I had to sit there and watch my two babies die…” On what should have been a happy day, the family instead witnessed their worst nightmare, a horrific image they fear will haunt them forever. The newlyweds were planning a larger celebration of their wedding during the holidays. “They wanted a Christmas wedding – the 20th of December,” Morgan explained, according to yahoo.com. Instead of sharing in their joy, the family is now preparing to manage their grief. “Even if you’re mad, hug your family. Love your family. Even if they’ve made you mad, make amends,” Morgan said to KDFM. “Don’t go to bed angry because you don’t know. You don’t know how fast you can lose that person.”
The story is another tragic reminder of how quickly life can change forever in the blink of an eye. This isn’t the first such tragedy immediately following a wedding that Texas has suffered recently. Back in November 2018, another pair of Texas newlyweds, Will Byler and Bailee Ackerman Byler, were killed when their helicopter crashed after taking off from their wedding.
