Teen Driver Sentenced for Catastrophic Crash That Killed Six
A 19-year-old Texas man, Luke Garrett Resecker, has been sentenced to 65 years behind bars for causing a horrific head-on collision that instantly killed six members of the same family. The devastating crash, which occurred on December 26, 2023, near Cleburne, Texas, was the result of Resecker's reckless, drug-fuelled driving.
A Family Outing Ends in Tragedy
The victims were returning from a holiday trip to the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center when Resecker, under the influence of THC, crossed the double yellow line in his white Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck. He ploughed head-on into the family's minivan, which was carrying seven people.
Six family members were killed instantly. They were identified as: Rushil Barri, 28; Naveena Potabathula, 39; Naveena's parents Nageswararao Ponnada, 64, and Sitamahalkshmi Ponnada, 60; and Naveena's children Kruthik Potabathula, 10, and Nishidha Potabathula, 9.
The sole survivor was Lokesh Potabathula, 43, who was left paralysed from the waist down. He lost his wife, his two children, his cousin, and his in-laws in the catastrophe.
Evidence of Impairment and a Controversial Mugshot
During the trial, prosecutors described the scene as catastrophic, presenting jurors with photos of twisted metal and shattered glass strewn across the highway. Resecker's pickup truck was found to contain marijuana wax, a vape pen, and loose cannabis. A toxicology report later confirmed the presence of THC in his bloodstream at the time of the collision.
Public outrage followed the release of Resecker's initial mugshot in early 2024, in which he appeared to be smirking. Prosecutors argued this image demonstrated his sheer indifference to the devastation he had caused.
In her closing argument, Assistant District Attorney Stephanie Miller powerfully recited each victim's name, demanding justice for them and for the community. After a week of testimony, the jury took only hours to convict Resecker.
He was sentenced on six counts of intoxication manslaughter, two counts of intoxication assault, and drug possession. His passenger, 17-year-old Preston Glass, survived but suffered a traumatic brain injury that left him mentally impaired.
The Johnson and Somervell Counties District Attorney's Office praised the investigators and first responders for their tireless work. For Lokesh Potabathula, the only surviving member of his immediate family, the sentence marks the end of a long legal battle, but the beginning of a lifetime of physical and emotional recovery.
