Jan. 01, Shelbyville, Texas / Cessna 421C Golden Eagle

At 17:05 CST, a Cessna 421C was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Shelbyville. The pilot was not injured but his four passengers sustained minor injuries. The flight was enroute from New Orleans to Omaha, Neb. During cruise flight at 14,000 feet the aircraft encountered icing. The pilot activated the propeller anti-ice system and observed that the right propeller anti-icing circuit breaker was popped out. He reset the circuit breaker and the airplane experienced a total electrical failure. He initiated an emergency descent, and entered into VFR conditions at about 1,500 feet. The pilot said he flew around for about 30 minutes trying to locate an airport. It was getting dark and thunderstorms were in the area, so he decided to land on a road. During the landing roll, he swerved the airplane left to avoid colliding with a pickup truck and the airplane struck trees.