HOBBS, N.M. — A National Transportation Safety Board official said Thursday that a 13-year-old was driving the pickup truck involved in a fiery crash that killed nine people Tuesday in Andrews County, Texas, The Associated Press is reporting.
#BREAKING: The NTSB say the 13-year-old victim was behind the wheel of the Dodge truck at the time of the crash. Officials say the left front tire was a spare, it blew and sent the truck into the northbound lane, ultimately hitting the USW van.
— Tatum Guinn (@tatumguinn) March 17, 2022
NTSB Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg said the teen was behind the wheel Tuesday night when the 2007 Dodge 2500 pickup crossed the center line of a highway and crashed head-on with a 2017 Ford Transit van carrying members of the University of the Southwest men’s and women’s golf teams, according to the AP. Six students from the New Mexico college, a golf coach, the 13-year-old and a passenger inside the pickup died in the wreck, while two Canadian students were hospitalized in critical condition, authorities said.
Landsberg added that the truck’s front left tire had been a spare tire, which blew out before the vehicles collided, the AP reported. He did not specify how fast the vehicles had been traveling, but described the incident as “a high-speed collision,” according to the news agency.
In Texas, a person must be at least 14 years old to begin taking classes for a learner’s permit and 15 to be licensed to drive with an adult present, the AP reported. Driving as a 13-year-old is against the law, Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Victor Taylor said.
DPS officials identified the victims as golf coach Tyler James, 26, of New Mexico; and golf players Mauricio Sanchez, 19, of Mexico; Travis Garcia, 19, of Texas; Jackson Zinn, 22, of Colorado; Karisa Raines, 21, of Texas; Laci Stone, 18, of Texas; and Tiago Sousa, 18, of Portugal. Heinrich Siemens, 38, of Texas, also died, according to the AP. The 13-year-old’s name was not released.
The golf teams had been returning from a golf tournament in Midland, Texas, officials said.
– The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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