Law & Crime
An 18-year-old man in Texas is accused of being under the influence of THC when he allegedly drove into oncoming traffic on a highway, plowing his pickup truck into a minivan, killing six of the seven passengers, all of whom were family members, one day after Christmas.
Luke Garrett Resecker appeared before Johnson County District Court Judge Sydney Hewlett on Tuesday, where he 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, court records reviewed by Law&Crime show.
According to a news release from the Texas Department of Public Safety, the victims of the deadly Dec. 26 crash included: Rushil Barri, 28; Nageswararao Ponnada, 64; Sitamahalakshmi Ponnada, 60; Naveena Potabathula, 36; Krithik Potabathula, 10; and Nishidha Potabathula, 9.
The seventh victim, Lokesh Potabathula, 43, suffered severe injuries and was hospitalized in critical condition.
Court documents obtained by Dallas Fox affiliate KDFW reportedly said that authorities recovered THC wax, a THC vape pen, and marijuana from inside Resecker’s vehicle. A test of his blood reportedly came back positive for THC at the time of the tragic incident.
Following the horrific crash, a then-17-year-old Resecker was also admitted to the hospital in critical condition. A spokesperson for the Public Safety Department reportedly told The Dallas Morning News that due to Resecker’s injuries, he was deemed not “medically fit” to be brought to jail. A judge ordered that he be confined to his home and fitted with a GPS monitor. He later posted $50,000 bond to remain on home confinement.
A copy of the preliminary crash report obtained by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reportedly states that Resecker was traveling southwest on U.S. 67 in a white Chevrolet Silverado pickup when he veered over the double yellow line of the undivided highway and began driving into oncoming traffic traveling northeast.
The gray Honda Odyssey minivan carrying the passengers reportedly tried to swerve out of the way of Resecker’s Silverado, but the two vehicles struck each other head-on and abruptly came to a stop on the highway.
A passenger in Resecker’s car was reportedly not wearing a seat belt. Both of them were reportedly airlifted to local hospitals, along with the minivan’s lone survivor, Lokesh Potabathula, who was seated on the left side of the vehicle’s second row and also reportedly was not wearing a seat belt.
No passengers were ejected from either vehicle, officials reportedly said.
The victims were from India and visiting family in Texas at the time of the crash, the Star-Telegram reported. They were reportedly returning from visiting Fossil Rim Wildlife Center.
The Texas Department of Safety did not respond to multiple calls and messages from Law&Crime seeking additional information regarding the crash.
