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17-year-old charged with intoxication manslaughter in Johnson County crash that killed Georgia family

By FOX 4 Staff
Published  March 28, 2024 5:05pm EDT
Texas
FOX 4

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 6 killed in Johnson County head-on crash

More details have been released about the six people who were killed in a head-on crash in Johnson County Tuesday afternoon. Most were members of a family traveling from Georgia.

JOHNSON COUNTY, Texas - A 17-year-old driver who hit a minivan head-on outside of Cleburne, killing the Georgia family inside, is now facing multiple charges, including intoxication manslaughter.

The Dec. 26, 2023 crash happened on U.S. Highway 67 near County Road 1119.

The Texas Department of Public Safety said 17-year-old Luke Resecker from Glen Rose was driving a Chevy Silverado and crossed into oncoming traffic in a "no passing" area, hitting the Honda Odyessy head-on.

Six of the seven people inside the van were killed. 

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Family's remains taken to India after deadly crash

The remains 6 people who were killed in a Johnson County crash last week have been transported to India. 43-year-old Lokesh Potabathula survived the crash, but his cousin, children, wife and her parents were killed.

Lokesh Potabathula, 43, is the only person in the Odyssey to survive. An arrest affidavit says Potabathula sustained several injuries and has not regained movement from his lower extremities.

Potabathula lost his entire family; his wife Naveena, their 10-year-old son Kruthik and 9-year-old daughter Nishidha.

Potabathula's cousin, 28-year-old Rushil Barri and his wife's parents, 64-year-old Nageswararao Ponnada and 60-year-old Sitamahalakhmi Ponnada, also died.

The Potabathula family recently moved from Plano to Alpharetta, Georgia and were visiting North Texas during the holiday break.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Irving man and visiting family killed in head-on crash

We are learning more about the head-on crash in Johnson County that killed an Irving man and several of his relatives who were visiting from Georgia. FOX 4's Dan Godwin has the latest on the victims and the investigation.

Barri moved from India to the United States for graduate school and was living and working in Irving.

A 17-year-old passenger in the Silverado was also seriously injured in the crash.

An arrest affidavit says that 17-year-old Preston Glass, also from Glen Rose, suffered severe injuries to the head, causing him to be mentally impaired.

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Luke Resecker (Source: Texas DPS)

Resecker was charged with six counts of intoxication manslaughter, two counts of intoxication assault, possession of a controlled substance and possession of marijuana.

Documents show that THC wax, a THC vape pen and marijuana were found inside the truck after the crash.

Blood tests showed Resecker had THC in his system at the time of the crash.

His bond was set at $50,000 with monitored home confinement.

Due to an ongoing medical condition, Resecker was not able to be booked into the Johnson County Jail.

Resecker posted bond and was released.