A Texas teen has been sentenced to 65 years in prison for causing a crash that killed six members of an Indian-origin family in 2023.
Nineteen-year-old Luke Garrett Resecker, who was 17 at the time of the incident, was under the influence of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) when his truck swerved into oncoming traffic, causing the fatal collision, authorities said.
THC is the main psychoactive compound in cannabis (marijuana) that causes the feeling of being “high.”
The crash occurred around 4:00 pm on December 26, 2023, on US Highway 67 near County Road 1119, south of Cleburne, Texas. The victims, including two young children, were returning home from a family outing at the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose when Resecker's Chevy Silverado slammed into their Honda Odyssey minivan.
Six of the seven people inside the minivan were killed on the spot. They were identified as Rushil Barri, 28, of Irving, and five relatives from Georgia: Naveena Potabathula, 36; Nageswararao Ponnada, 64; Sitamahalakshmi Ponnada, 60; 10-year-old Krithik Potabathula; and 9-year-old Nishidha Potabathula.
The only survivor from the family, Lokesh Potabathula, lost his wife, two children, cousin, and in-laws in the crash. He was paralysed from the waist down, as per CBS News.
Resecker's 17-year-old passenger, Preston Glass, also suffered a severe traumatic brain injury that left him mentally impaired, police said in a Facebook post.
Investigators found THC wax, a vape pen, and marijuana inside Resecker's truck. Toxicology tests later confirmed that he had active THC in his system when the crash occurred, Fox News reported.
Resecker was initially charged with intoxication manslaughter, intoxication assault, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of marijuana.
During the trial in Johnson County, prosecutors described the crash as entirely preventable.
Assistant District Attorneys Connor Day and Stephanie Miller, who prosecuted the case for Johnson and Somervell counties, called the crash “a sobering reminder of the irreversible consequences of impaired and reckless driving.”
In her closing arguments, Miller invoked each victim's name, saying, “Justice for Rushil, Justice for Naveena, Justice for Nageswararao, Justice for Sitamahalakshmi, Justice for Kruthik, Justice for Nishidharaman, and Justice for Lokesh and justice for this community.”
