Texas Division of Public Security troopers look over the scene of a deadly accident early Wednesday, in Andrews County, Texas. 9 individuals had been killed when a pickup truck crossed the middle line of a two-lane highway Tuesday night and crashed right into a van carrying members of the College of the Southwest males’s and ladies’s golf groups.
Eli Hartman/Odessa American by way of AP
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Eli Hartman/Odessa American by way of AP
Texas Division of Public Security troopers look over the scene of a deadly accident early Wednesday, in Andrews County, Texas. 9 individuals had been killed when a pickup truck crossed the middle line of a two-lane highway Tuesday night and crashed right into a van carrying members of the College of the Southwest males’s and ladies’s golf groups.
Eli Hartman/Odessa American by way of AP
HOBBS, N.M. — A 13-year-old was driving the pickup truck that struck a van in West Texas in a fiery collision that killed 9 individuals, Nationwide Transportation Security Board Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg stated Thursday.
The truck’s left entrance tire, which was a spare tire, additionally blew out earlier than impression, he stated.
Though it was unclear how briskly the 2 autos had been touring, “this was clearly a high-speed collision,” Landsberg stated.
One should be 14 in Texas to start out taking classroom programs for a learner’s license and 15 to obtain that provisional license to drive with an teacher or licensed grownup within the car. Division of Public Security Sgt. Victor Taylor stated a 13-year-old driving can be breaking the regulation.
The pickup truck crossed into the other lane on a darkened, two-lane freeway earlier than colliding head-on with a van, killing the boy, a person touring with him, six New Mexico school college students and a golf coach.
College of the Southwest athletes had been getting back from a golf match
The College of the Southwest college students, together with one from Portugal and one from Mexico, and the coach had been getting back from a golf match when the crash occurred Tuesday evening. Two Canadian college students had been hospitalized in important situation.
The Nationwide Transportation Security Board despatched an investigative crew to the crash web site in Texas’ Andrews County, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) east of the New Mexico state line.
The golf groups had been touring in a 2017 Ford Transit van that was towing a field trailer when it collided with the truck, and each autos burst into flames, in keeping with NTSB spokesman Eric Weiss.
He stated the autos collided on a two-lane asphalt freeway the place the pace restrict is 75 mph (120 kph), although investigators haven’t but decided how briskly both car was touring.
The Texas Division of Public Security recognized the deceased as: Golf coach Tyler James, 26, of Hobbs, New Mexico; and gamers Mauricio Sanchez, 19, of Mexico; Travis Garcia, 19, of Pleasanton, Texas; Jackson Zinn, 22, of Westminster, Colorado; Karisa Raines, 21, of Fort Stockton, Texas; Laci Stone, 18, of Nocona, Texas; and Tiago Sousa, 18, of Portugal.
Additionally killed had been Henrich Siemens, 38, of Seminole County, Texas, and an unidentified 13-year-old boy who had been within the 2007 Dodge 2500 pickup. Texas Division of Public Security Sgt. Steven Blanco stated Thursday that investigators haven’t but confirmed who was driving both car due to the severity of the crash and the hearth that occurred afterward.
Critically injured aboard the van had been Canadian college students Dayton Worth, 19, of Mississauga, Ontario, and Hayden Underhill, 20, of Amherstview, Ontario. Each had been taken by helicopter to the College Medical Middle in Lubbock, about 110 miles (180 kilometers) to the northeast.
“They’re each secure and recovering and each day making increasingly more progress,” College of the Southwest Provost Ryan Tipton stated Thursday of the 2 injured college students.
The victims are remembered for his or her passions and pleasure
Underhill’s brother Drew stated their mother and father, Ken and Wendy, flew to Texas.
“Hockey was an enormous a part of life for some time, however his true ardour is golf,” Drew Underhill stated. “From a small city in Ontario, he is doing OK.”
The Mexican Federation of Golf posted a web based be aware of condolence to the family members of Mauricio Sanchez.
Sousa was from Portugal’s southern coast, the place he graduated from highschool final summer time earlier than heading to school within the U.S., stated Renata Afonso, head of the Escola Secundária de Loulé.
“Any faculty can be delighted to have had him as a scholar,” she stated.
Stone’s mom wrote of her loss on Fb Wednesday.
“She has been an absolute ray of sunshine throughout this brief time on earth,” Chelsi Stone stated in a put up. “We’ll by no means be the identical after this and we simply do not perceive how this occurred to our superb, lovely, good, joyful woman.”
Stone graduated in 2021 from Nocona Excessive Faculty, the place she performed golf, volleyball and softball. She was a freshman majoring in international enterprise administration, in keeping with her biography on the golf crew’s web site.
James’ mom, June James, stated she knew little in regards to the circumstances of the collision. He coached the boys and the ladies.
“We do not know what occurred. It is an enormous investigation. We have no thought as of but,” James stated throughout a short telephone interview.
Group member Jasmin Collum had been scheduled to play however on the final minute determined as an alternative to go to her mother and father in Houston, her mom stated.
“We knew all these individuals on board,” Tonya Collum stated. “Mainly the entire crew is gone or within the hospital.”
In New Mexico, the scholars and coach who had been killed are mourned
The College of the Southwest is a non-public, Christian school positioned in Hobbs, New Mexico, close to the state line with Texas.
Golf balls adorn a makeshift memorial on the Rockwind Neighborhood Hyperlinks on Wednesday in Hobbs, N.M. The memorial was for scholar golfers and the coach of College of the Southwest killed in a crash in Texas.
John Locher/AP
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John Locher/AP
Golf balls adorn a makeshift memorial on the Rockwind Neighborhood Hyperlinks on Wednesday in Hobbs, N.M. The memorial was for scholar golfers and the coach of College of the Southwest killed in a crash in Texas.
John Locher/AP
A memorial was arrange Wednesday on the course close to campus the place the crew practices. There have been flowers, golf balls and a home made signal with a cross and the initials USW.
“It is the very least we may to for the gamers, and naturally Coach James,” stated Rockwind Neighborhood Hyperlinks Supervisor Ben Kirkes.
“These children had been nice children and so they had been nice, nice group members,” Kirkes stated.
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham stated on Fb that she is “deeply saddened” by the lack of life.
“This can be a horrible accident. As we await further data from authorities, my prayers are with the group and the family members of all these concerned,” she stated.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott additionally expressed sympathy.
“We grieve with the family members of the people whose lives had been horrifically taken too quickly on this deadly car crash close to Andrews final evening,” Abbott stated.
The groups had been collaborating in a golf match at Midland Faculty, about 315 miles (505 kilometers) west of Dallas.
“We’re nonetheless studying the main points in regards to the accident however we’re devastated and deeply saddened to be taught in regards to the lack of our college students’ lives and their coach,” College President Quint Thurman stated in a press release.
The college stated on Twitter that counseling and non secular providers can be obtainable on campus.
Midland Faculty stated Wednesday’s play can be canceled due to the crash. Eleven faculties had been taking part within the occasion.
“All the gamers and their coaches from the taking part faculties met collectively early this morning,” Midland Faculty athletic director Forrest Allen stated in a press release Wednesday. “We had been all shocked to be taught of this tragedy, and our ideas and prayers are with USW as they grieve this horrible loss.”
