ALPHARETTA, Ga. (WKRC) — An 18-year-old man has been sentenced to decades behind bars for a crash that left six people dead.
According to CBS News, 19-year-old Luke Garrett Resecker was sentenced to 65 years in prison after a crash in Johnson County, Texas, claimed six lives — including two children — and left a passenger with a traumatic brain injury.
Authorities said Resecker was behind the wheel of a Chevy Silverado when he swerved into the oncoming lane at around 4 p.m. on December 26, 2023, and slammed into a Honda Odyssey minivan carrying a family.
Six family members were killed:
- 28-year-old Rushil Barri
- 36-year-old Naveena Potabathula
- 64-year-old Nageswararao Ponnada
- 60-year-old Sitamahalakshmi Ponnada
- 10-year-old Krithik Potabathula
- 9-year-old Nishidha Potabathula
CBS reported that the victims had spent the day at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose, Texas, with a friend of the family telling the network that they were on their way home when the fatal crash occurred.
Authorities said Resecker was under the influence of THC when it happened, according to the network’s report. KDFW reported that authorities located THC wax, marijuana and a vape pen inside the vehicle. One survivor of the crash was left paralyzed from the waist down, and a passenger in the Silverado suffered a traumatic brain injury, CBS reported.
During a search of the pickup truck, authorities discovered THC, and a toxicology report confirmed active THC in Resecker’s system. He was initially charged with the following:
- Intoxication manslaughter (six counts)
- Intoxication assault (two counts)
- Possession of a controlled substance
- Possession of marijuana
Assistant District Attorneys Stephanie Miller and Connor Day called the crash “a sobering reminder of the irreversible consequences of impaired and reckless driving,” CBS reported.