A Texas teenager is accused of driving under the influence when he allegedly drove headlong into oncoming traffic, killing a family of six the day after Christmas.
Luke Garrett Resecker, 18, smiled in a new police image as he was arraigned on six counts of intoxication manslaughter, as investigators say he was under the influence of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, at the time.
He is also charged with intoxication assault, possession of a controlled substance and possession of marijuana, according to Law and crime.
The horrific accident caused the death of Rushil Barri, 28; Nageswararao Ponnada, 64 years old; Sitamahalakshmi Ponnada, 60; Naveena Potabathula, 36 years old; Krithik Potabathula, 10; and Nishidha Potabathula, 9.
A seventh victim, Lokesh Potabutala, 43, suffered serious injuries but survived the tragedy. The family, originally from India, was visiting relatives in Texas.
Luke Garrett Resecker, 18, smiled in a new police photo as he was arraigned on six counts of intoxication manslaughter in a Dec. 26 crash that killed a family of six.
Lokesh Potabathula, 43 (behind, yellow shirt) was the only survivor of the accident. He lost his wife Naveena Potabathula, 36 (second right); his parents Nageswararao Ponnada, 64 years old (second from left); and Sitamahalakshmi Ponnada, 60 (front); and his children, Krithik Potabathula, 10 years old (far right), and Nishidha Potabathula, 9 years old (far left), as well as his cousin.
Rushil Barri, 28, was driving his family home in their Honda Odyssey after a day at the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center when they were hit and killed in a head-on collision.
Resecker was allegedly driving under the influence of THC when his white Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck veered into oncoming traffic and collided with the family’s minivan.
When the crash occurred on Dec. 26, 2023, Resecker was driving with a friend on US 67 in his white Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck, and troopers said they found marijuana and a marijuana vaporizer inside the vehicle.
A blood test also reportedly came back positive for THC.
He allegedly swerved over the double yellow line of an undivided highway, before colliding head-on with the family’s Honda Odyssey minivan.
The family tried to swerve out of their way, but they couldn’t get out of the way in time before crashing into each other on the road.
Resecker’s passenger was reportedly not wearing a seat belt at the time, but survived the crash and was airlifted to the hospital.
The sole survivor of the minivan, Lokesh Potabutala, was also reportedly not wearing a seat belt, but no passengers were ejected from either vehicle.
Helicopter rescue crews airlifted survivors to nearby hospitals, including Resecker, who was initially listed in critical condition.
Due to the 18-year-old’s injuries, a Department of Public Safety spokesperson told the Dallas Morning News that he was considered “medically unfit” to be held in jail.
The horrific accident nearly wiped out the family of seven who were in the accident, and the victims included two children: Krithik Potabathula, 10; and Nishidha Potabathula, 9
The family was said to have been visiting relatives in Texas at the time and were returning from a day trip to a wildlife center when they lost their lives.
Barri, 28, had moved to Texas from India in August 2020. The other family members lived in Alpharetta, Georgia.
This led a judge to place him under house arrest and order him to be fitted with a GPS monitor, and he later posted $50,000 bail to remain confined to his home and avoid jail.
The surviving family member lost his wife, son, mother-in-law, father-in-law and cousin. At the time, 11Alive He reported that he had lost his sight in the accident and might never walk again.
According to a GoFundMe at the time, he was hospitalized in “critical condition and underwent multiple surgeries as he had a deep intestinal injury, several fractures throughout his body, including his spine, ribs and extremities.”
His cousin, Rushil Barri, 28, was driving the minivan at the time and the family was returning from a trip to the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center.
Barri moved to the United States from India in August 2020 and settled in Texas: the other family members lived in Alpharetta, Georgia.
The surviving family member lost his wife, son, daughter, mother-in-law, father-in-law and cousin, and suffered serious injuries, including a deep intestinal injury, and several fractures throughout his body, including his spine, ribs, and limbs
The two severely damaged vehicles, a Honda Odyssey and a Chevrolet pickup truck, appear after the crash on US 67 in Johnson County, Texas.
Speaking to NBC News after the accident, Barri’s roommate Ayyappala Bandaru said that at 4:01 p.m., a message was sent from his friend’s iPhone, saying the phone recorded an accident.
“We were in shock at what just happened,” Bandaru said.
“We tried to contact everyone who was in the car and no one answers.”
He said Barri was ambitious and driven.
“We were like brothers,” Bandaru said. ‘He’s actually like my brother here.
‘I had very big dreams. She always used to think about tomorrow. She used to say, “Man, we gotta rule this world.”
“We came here with a lot of struggles.”