Six people, including two children, were killed and three others were injured in a crash Tuesday in western Johnson County, authorities say.
The three people injured in the collision involving a Honda Odyssey minivan and Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck were taken via helicopter to Fort Worth-area hospitals in critical condition, said Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman William Lockridge.
In a news release Wednesday, DPS identified those killed as 9-year-old Nishidha Potabathula, 10-year-old Krithik Potabathula, 28-year-old Rushil Barri, 36-year-old Naveena Potabathula, 60-year-old Sitamahalakshmi Ponnada and 64-year-old Nageswararao Ponnada. The department said Barri was from Irving, but it was not immediately clear where the rest were from.
All six people who died were in the Odyssey, DPS said, noting Barri and Naveena Potabathula were the only occupants wearing seatbelts.
Investigators believe the deceased were of South Asian descent, Lockridge said.
Ashok Kolla with the Telugu Association of North America told The Dallas Morning News they are believed to be Telugu-speaking. The organization will work with the Consulate General of India in Houston to provide help to relatives of the people who died or were injured in the minivan.
side from the two children, the rest of the occupants of the minivan, including the man who was injured, are believed to be Indian nationals, Kolla said. All were family members except Barri, who is reportedly a “distant relative,” he added.
Dinesh Hooda, president of the India Association of North Texas, said he learned of the details of the crash through reports from Indian news outlets.
”Everybody feels really sad,” Hooda said. “When everyone is together with their families and this unfortunate incident happens, it’s really, really sad. Our community is waiting for more details on this.”
The crash, reported to authorities shortly after 4 p.m., occurred on U.S. Highway 67, between County Road 1234 and County Road 1120, Lockridge said.
According to DPS, the Chevrolet pickup truck was traveling south on US 67 in the area of CR 1119. The Odyssey was traveling north in the same area when the truck entered the northbound lane in a no passing zone. Lockridge said the pickup truck struck the Odyssey “head-on.”
One of the occupants of the Odyssey, 43-year-old Lokesh Potabathula, survived the crash and was critically injured, DPS said.
DPS identified the occupants of the pickup truck as Luke Resecker and Preston Glass of Glen Rose, both of whom are 17 years old. Both were also critically injured. DPS said Glass was not wearing his seatbelt.
Lockridge said Tuesday evening it was unclear what criminal charges, if any, could stem from the incident.
“It’s too early to say,” Lockridge said.
In a comment to its Facebook about the crash, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office asked for prayers for the families involved.
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