JOHNSON COUNTY, Texas — Six people have been killed, and three more are seriously injured, following a two-vehicle crash along US-67 near County Road 1119 in Johnson County on Tuesday evening, officials said.
According to a release from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) on Wednesday morning, preliminary investigations revealed that two cars -- a 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and a 2021 Honda Odyssey -- were traveling in opposite directions on the two-lane US-67 just over 3.5 miles to the northeast of Nemo when the Silverado, which had been headed southbound, entered the northbound lane in a “no passing” area, and struck the Odyssey "in a head-on manner" that "caused heavy damage" to both vehicles.
The occupants of the Silverado -- driver Luke Resecker and passenger Preston Glass, both 17 years old and of Glen Rose -- suffered critical injuries in the collision, according to the release. Resecker was airlifted to Harris Health Hospital in Fort Worth for treatment, and Glass was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, officials said.
Only one occupant in the Odyssey -- a passenger named Lokesh Potabathula, 26, of Alpharetta, Georgia -- survived the crash, according to the release. Potabathula suffered critical injuries and was taken to Harris Health Hospital in Fort Worth for treatment, officials said.
The driver of the Odyssey, 28-year-old Rushil Barri of Irving, was killed in the crash, according to the report.
The Odyssey's remaining five occupants -- a 36-year-old Asian woman, a 64-year-old Asian man, a 60-year-old Asian woman, a 10-year-old Asian boy and a 9-year-old Asian girl, all of Alpharetta, Georgia -- also died, officials said.
DPS said the unidentified victims' names are being withheld until next of kin has been notified. DPS is working with Georgia State Police to locate next of kin, the release said.
According to the release, only three of the nine people involved in the incident were wearing seatbelts at the time of the collision: Resecker, Barri and the 36-year-old Asian woman.
The posted speed limit along the stretch of highway where the two cars collided is 70 miles per hour.
DPS' investigation into the incident remains ongoing, officials said.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.