Six of the seven passengers—all family members—were killed when an 18-year-old male in Texas is suspected of driving into oncoming traffic on a highway while under the influence of THC. The incident happened one day after Christmas.
According to court records obtained by Law&Crime, Luke Garrett Resecker was arraigned on six counts of “intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle,” two counts of intoxication assault, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of marijuana when he appeared before Johnson County District Court Judge Sydney Hewlett on Tuesday.
The following people were killed in the crash on December 26: Rushil Barri, 28; Nageswararao Ponnada, 64; Sitamahalakshmi Ponnada, 60; Naveena Potabathula, 36; Krithik Potabathula, 10; and Nishidha Potabathula, 9. This information was released by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Lokesh Potabathula, 43, the seventh casualty, was critically injured and admitted to the hospital.
According to court records obtained by Dallas Fox station KDFW, THC wax, a THC vape pen, and marijuana were found inside Resecker’s car by the authorities. At the time of the terrible incident, a blood test revealed a positive result for THC.
After the horrifying collision, Resecker, who was 17 at the time, was also critically injured and sent to the hospital. According to The Dallas Morning News, a Public Safety Department spokesman stated that Resecker was not considered “medically fit” to be taken to jail because of his injuries. A judge ruled that he had to stay inside his house and wear a GPS tracker. Later, in order to stay under home confinement, he secured a $50,000 bond.
Resecker was driving southwest on U.S. 67 in a white Chevrolet Silverado pickup when he allegedly veered over the double yellow line of the divided highway and started to drive into oncoming traffic heading northeast, according to a copy of the preliminary crash report that the Fort Worth Star-Telegram was able to obtain.
Resecker’s Silverado and the gray Honda Odyssey minivan with the passengers allegedly attempted to veer out of the way of each other, but the two cars collided head-on and came to a sudden stop on the highway.
There were reports of a passenger in Resecker’s vehicle without using a seat belt. Along with Lokesh Potabathula, the only other survivor of the minivan who was sitting in the second row on the left side and was not using a seat belt, the two of them were reportedly transported to nearby hospitals.
According to reports, neither vehicle’s occupants were forced out.
According to the Star-Telegram, the victims were from India and were in Texas visiting relatives when the accident occurred. It was said that they were coming back from a visit to the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center.