DALLAS, TX — A teenager has learned his fate after he was convicted in a crash that killed a family of six from Alpharetta.
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On Oct. 31, the Johnson and Somervell County District Attorney’s Office announced that Luke Garrett Resecker, now 19, was sentenced to 65 years for causing a fatal head-on crash on December 26, 2023.
The then-17-year-old was charged with six counts of intoxication manslaughter, two counts of intoxication assault, possession of a controlled substance, penalty group 2 and possession of marijuana.
The Texas Department of Public Safety deputies said the six people killed were traveling in a Honda Odyssey on U.S. 67 North when a Chevrolet Silverado tried to pass another car in a no-passing zone. The truck hit the Odyssey head-on.
The driver and passenger of the truck, Resecker and 17-year-old Preston Glass, were also taken to the hospital in critical condition.
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According to a toxicology report, Resecker had active THC in his system at the time of the crash.
Those killed in the crash were identified as Nageswararao Ponnada, 64, and his wife Sitamahalakshmi Ponnada, 60, their daughter Naveena Potabathula, 36, and their grandchildren, Pkrithik Potabathula, 10, and Nishidha Potabathula, 9. Rushil Barri, 28, was also killed in the Odyssey. It’s unclear how he was related to the family.
The DA’s office said the crash left one survivor, Lokesh Potabathula, 43, of Alpharetta, paralyzed from the waist down and Glass with a traumatic brain injury.
“Justice for Rushil, Justice for Naveena, Justice for Nageswararao, Justice for Sitamahalakshmi, Justice for Kruthik, Justice for Nishidharaman, and Justice for Lokesh and Justice for this community.” ADA Stephanie Miller said in her closing arguments. We are deeply grateful to the jury, the officers, and the prosecutors for their dedication and hard work. This was by no means an easy case, and their commitment to seeking justice made all the difference."
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The family is related to a politician in the region of Andhra Pradesh, YSR Congress Party lawmaker Ponnada Venkata Satish Kumar, according to the Hindustan Times.
“My uncle and his family lived in Atlanta,” he told the outlet. “They were returning home after taking part in Christmas celebrations at the house of other relatives in Texas when the accident took place.”
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