Hellish Highway: Three Generations of Indian American Family Killed in Head-on Collision
- They were traveling in a Honda Odyssey minivan when a Chevrolet pickup truck driven by a 17-year-old went the wrong way on the highway and smashed into them.
Six members of an Indian American family were killed on Tuesday after their minivan was hit in a car crash near Forth Worth, Texas on U.S. Highway 67. They were traveling in a Honda Odyssey minivan when a Chevrolet pickup truck driven by a 17-year-old went the wrong way on the highway and smashed into them head-on.
The deceased were identified as Rushil Barri 28; Naveena Potabathula, 36; Nageswararao Ponnada, 64; Sitamahalakshmi Ponnada, 60; Krithik Potabathula, 10, and Nishidha Potabathula, 9. A seventh passenger — 43-year-old Lokesh Potabathula — survived the crash and was critically injured, The Dallas Morning News reported, citing the Texas Department of Public Safety. None of the occupants were wearing a seat belt except Barri and Naveena Potabathula, the news report added.
The Honda Odyssey was driven by Barri, who was driving to his home in Irving, Texas, after taking his relatives to Fossil Rim Wildlife Center. The young man had moved to the U.S. from India in 2020. The Dallas Morning News notes that those killed in the crash were his cousin, his cousin’s wife, two young children, and in-laws, all from Alpharetta, Georgia.
YSR Congress Party lawmaker Ponnada Venkata Satish Kumar, who represents Mummidivaram in the Andhra Pradesh assembly told Indian media that those who died in the accident were his close relatives. “My uncle and his family lived in Atlanta. They were returning home after taking part in Christmas celebrations at the house of other relatives in Texas when the accident took place,” he told reporters.
Ashok Kolla of the Telugu Association of North America told The Dallas Morning News the organization will work with the Consulate General of India in Houston to provide help to relatives of the people who died or were injured in the minivan.
Barri’s roommate Ayyappala Bandaru told NBC News that at 4:01 pm on Tuesday a message was sent from his friend’s iPhone, saying the phone registered a crash. Shocked by the message, they tried reaching everyone in the car, but no one picked up the phone, he told the news network. He described Barri as being “ambitious and driven.” Calling him his “brother,” Bandaru said Barri had “very big dreams. He always used to think about tomorrow. He used to be like ‘Man, we need to rule this world.’ We came here with a lot of struggles.’”
Meanwhile, the occupants of the pickup truck were identified by the DPS as Luke Resecker and Preston Glass of Glen Rose, both 17. They were also critically injured and were taken to the hospital. DPS said Glass was not wearing his seatbelt. Sergeant William Lockridge of the Texas Department of Public Safety told The Dallas Morning News it was unclear why the 17-year-old was driving the wrong way. “For an unknown reason at this time, the Chevrolet pickup truck traveled into the northbound lane and struck the Honda Odyssey head-on,” adding that it was “too early” if any criminal charges, could stem from the incident.
Top photo, scene of the accident. Courtesy of X/NBC News. Inset, Rushil Barri, the driver of the minivan was among those killed.