Texas teen sentenced to 65 years for THC-impaired crash that killed 6 near Cleburne, prosecutors say
A teen has been sentenced to 65 years in prison for a devastating head-on crash in Johnson County that killed six people — including two children — and left his passenger with a traumatic brain injury just after Christmas in 2023.
Authorities said 19-year-old Luke Garrett Resecker was under the influence of THC when he veered into oncoming traffic.
The crash happened around 4 p.m. on Dec. 26, 2023, on U.S. Highway 67 near County Road 1119, south of Cleburne.
The victims, including members of a Georgia family, had spent the day visiting Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose. A friend of the family told CBS News Texas they were excited to see the animals and were on their way home when the crash happened.
Authorities say driver was high
Prosecutors said Resecker, who was 17 at the time, crossed into the opposite lane and slammed into a Honda Odyssey minivan carrying the family. The victims who died ranged in age from 9 to 64.
Two survivors suffered severe injuries
While one survivor was left paralyzed from the waist down, Resecker's 17-year-old passenger suffered a traumatic brain injury.
According to authorities, THC was found inside Resecker's 2014 Chevy Silverado, and toxicology confirmed active THC in his system when the crash occurred.
Prosecutors call crash a warning
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."
Initial charges and victim identities
Resecker was initially charged with six counts of intoxication manslaughter, two counts of intoxication assault, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of marijuana.
One of the victims and the driver of the minivan, 28-year-old Rushil Barri, was from Irving. The other five victims were from Alpharetta, Georgia: Naveena Potabathula, 36; Nageswararao Ponnada, 64; Sitamahalakshmi Ponnada, 60; 10-year-old Krithik Potabathula; and 9-year-old Nishidha Potabathula.