SC band member killed in crash by alleged drunk driver was ‘loved by all of his peers’
Sean Herd would have been a senior at Loris High School this year.
But two weeks before the first day of school the 17-year-old was in a fiery car crash that took his life.
The Loris teen was killed Aug. 2, 2024, while driving home from band camp along S.C. 9, according to Master Trooper William Bennett with the South Carolina Highway Patrol. The crash happened about 11 p.m. near Ferrell Road outside Loris when his Volkswagen Jetta was struck head-on by an alleged drunk driver, Bennett said.
Seth Harris Rosen, 36, of Longs, was charged with driving while under the influence causing death related to the fatal crash, Bennett confirmed.
Another person was also injured.
Members of the Loris High School band, in which Herd was a band captain, and parents met Aug. 3, 2024, in the band room at the school “and we remembered Sean,” according to band director Stephen Whisnant by email.
“We cried, we prayed and we laughed a little,” Whisnant said. “Mostly, we loved each other and lifted each other up.”
Whisnant said that Herd moved his sophomore year to the school and “just fit right in with our band family.”
“Sean was a very special young man,” he said. “He had some challenges that had come from his structure at his old school and COVID, but he worked very hard to be a fine musician. He was one of the hardest working kids that I have had in 30 years of teaching (high school) band.”
Whisnant said that Herd was constantly practicing and getting better. Even when the students took breaks to rest, Herd would be off to the side working on his music or helping a younger band member, Whisnant said.
In addition to be a band captain, Herd, who played trumpet, was also set to be a soloist in the band’s upcoming show.
“He was loved by all of his peers.” Whisnant said. “Sean will be greatly missed. We are a family, and we are hurting.”
Counseling services have been offered at Loris High School to students needing assistance, Lisa Bourcier, director of strategic communications and community engagement for Horry County Schools, said by email Sunday.
Loris High School posted to its Facebook page that counselors will be available from 8 a.m. to noon Monday at the school.
“Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the tragic loss of one of our own,” the post said. “We understand this is a difficult time for our school community. “
This story was originally published August 5, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
