Nationwide Transportation Security Board Vice President Bruce Landsberg mentioned Thursday a 13-year-old was driving the pickup that collided with a pickup truck in West Texas in a fiery crash that killed 9 individuals.
He mentioned the truck’s left entrance tire, a spare tire, blew in flip earlier than the collision. Though it was not clear how briskly the 2 automobiles had been touring, Landsberg mentioned, “it was clear that this was a high-speed collision.”
One have to be 14 in Texas to start out taking semester programs to acquire a learner’s license and 15 to acquire this provisional license to drive with an teacher or a licensed grownup within the automobile. Division of Public Security Sgt. Victor Taylor mentioned it might be towards the legislation for a 13-year-old to drive.
The pickup truck crossed into the alternative lane on a darkish, two-lane freeway earlier than colliding instantly with a pickup truck, killing the boy, a person he was touring with, six New Mexico school college students and a golf teacher.
The Southwest College college students, together with one from Portugal and one from Mexico, had been getting back from a golf event when the accident occurred on Tuesday evening. Two Canadian college students have been hospitalized in important situation.
The NTSB despatched an investigation staff to the crash website in Andrews County, Texas, about 30 miles east of the New Mexico state line.
The lads’s and ladies’s golf groups had been touring in a 2017 Ford Transit truck that was towing a box-trailer when it collided with the truck, and each automobiles caught fireplace, in line with NTSB spokesperson Eric Weiss. He mentioned the autos collided on a two-lane asphalt freeway with a high velocity of 75 mph, although investigators haven’t but decided how briskly both automobile was touring.
The Texas Division of Public Security recognized the deceased as: golf coach Tyler James, 26, of Hobbs, New Mexico; The gamers are Mauricio Sanchez, 19, from Mexico. Travis Garcia, 19, of Pleasanton, Texas; Jackson Zinn, 22, of Westminster, Colorado; Carissa Raines, 21, of Fort Stockton, Texas; Lacey Stone, 18, from Nocona, Texas; and Thiago Sousa, 18 years outdated, from Portugal.
Heinrich Siemens, 38, of Seminole County, Texas, and the unidentified 13-year-old boy who was in a 2007 Dodge 2500 pickup had been additionally killed.
Canadian college students Dayton Worth, 19, of Mississauga, Ontario, and Hayden Underhill, 20, of Amherstview, Ontario, had been critically injured within the truck. Each had been flown by helicopter to College Medical Middle in Lubbock, about 110 miles to the northeast.
“They’re secure, recovering, and making an increasing number of progress on daily basis,” Southwestern College President Ryan Tipton mentioned Thursday of the 2 injured college students.
The Mexican Golf Federation has posted a be aware of condolences on-line for family members of Mauricio Sanchez. Escola Secundaria de Loule principal Renata Afonso mentioned Souza was from the south coast of Portugal, the place he graduated from highschool final summer season earlier than heading off to school in america.
“Any college can be glad to have him as a pupil,” she mentioned.
Southwest College is a personal Christian school situated in Hobbs, New Mexico, close to the state line with Texas. A memorial was held on Wednesday on the coaching course close to the campus the place the staff trains. There have been flowers, golf balls, a home made signal with a cross and the initials USW.
“It is the least we can provide the gamers, and naturally Coach James,” mentioned Ben Kirks, Director of Rockwind Neighborhood Hyperlinks. “These children had been wonderful children and so they had been nice group members.”
New Mexico Governor Michelle Logan Grisham mentioned on Fb that she was “deeply saddened” by the lack of life.
“This can be a horrific incident. As we await extra data from the authorities, my ideas are with the group and family members of all concerned,” she mentioned.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott additionally expressed his sympathy.
“We mourn the family members of the people whose lives had been horribly taken so early in a deadly automobile crash close to Andrews final evening,” Abbott mentioned.
The groups had been taking part in a golf event at Midland School, about 315 miles west of Dallas. Midland School mentioned Wednesday’s play can be canceled as a result of incident. Eleven colleges participated on this occasion.
