Okay, you got to hang tight, okay? You got to stop moving. Or it hurts. >> On December 26th, 2023, what began as a family trip home along US Highway 67 near Nemo, Texas, ended in one of the deadliest crashes the community had ever witnessed. Within seconds, a pickup truck crossed into oncoming traffic, triggering a devastating head-on collision that transformed an ordinary afternoon into a scene of unimaginable devastation. What initially appeared to be a tragic crash soon raised troubling questions. As investigators pieced together the evidence, they uncovered a series of decisions made in the moments before impact that would become the focus of a lengthy criminal investigation in a case that would capture national attention. >> So, we're going to get one. >> One Charles 1104, County, we got a ETA on ambulance. How's he doing? >> He's got a femur fracture. >> You got a 12? >> He is in severe pain. >> Don't move around, okay? Ambulance is What are you doing over there? >> I'm a officer. I'm a physician. There's like three DOAs in there. >> He's moving his head. >> He looks to be stable. He's bleeding from his ears. Obviously, >> [screaming] >> This one over there has a femur fracture. >> No. >> Okay. >> I I just got saw it. >> Okay. >> CP, it's just Luke. Luke. Luke. >> Okay, you got to hang tight, okay? You got to stop moving. I know it hurts. Don't take that tourniquet off. You got to have a tourniquet on or you'll lose your leg. All right, what's the ETA for the EMS? I'm trying to find a gel so that I can go help them guys. >> You need to? >> I'm I'm I'm just saying I'm good. >> Hey, uh >> I'm trying to find a gel so that >> See if the firefighter needs any help. We can hold on him. He's a He's firefighter. He can help. See if he needs any help. >> No, no, no, I'll be all >> Okay, Luke, we'll get you some help here in a second, okay? I just need the hang tight for me. I know it hurts. >> Just an ETA on the EMS AT THIS MOMENT. UH HE JUST GOT A IF YOU GOT GAUZE or something, I think he's got a head wound. We're just trying to get him We're trying Don't take it off, man. >> I think there's something sharp. Yeah, I think that >> Okay, I see >> cuz there's something sharp right there in this hand. Just be careful. >> Okay, if you want to get with this trooper right here, he should be in this vehicle. He'll have other gloves that he can look at it with. Well, he'll have gloves so that they won't stab him. No, it's just so he can look for it WITHOUT GETTING CUT. >> INVESTIGATORS IDENTIFIED THE SUSPECT AS 17-year-old Luke Garrett Rezeker. According to the investigation, he was driving a white Chevrolet Silverado southwest on US Highway 67 when he attempted to pass another vehicle in a clearly marked no-passing zone. Authorities later determined that no alcohol was detected in his system. However, toxicology tests identified the presence of THC and investigators reported recovering marijuana products, including a THC vape pen and THC wax from his truck as part of the investigation. >> What do you got? >> I got a head wound. That's right here. >> I got it. I got you. >> I got you. I got you. I got >> He's trying to take it >> Don't take his tourniquet off. >> No, he's trying to take it off. >> Yeah. I got you. >> Man, this one next to us over there has got double broken arms. >> Yep. >> Humerus broken, his femur's broken, he's got an open tibial fracture. >> This >> He's trying to get an update on him and ask, but I don't know what >> What do we do? >> Okay. >> They said two, I think they told me three. >> There's three dead in the car. Yeah. Okay. We got three DLAs there. We got an open head wound, femoral fracture here. One in the car. I'll tell you >> The one in the car was still moving. >> He's still alive. He's still He's still moving. >> I don't know. >> I've been trying to get updates on any of them. >> The DLA of that vehicle, we got >> There's at least three in that vehicle. >> DLAs there. >> He's He's conscious He's not conscious, but he's He's breathing. >> He's breathing. >> Yeah, we're on a fire truck, too. >> Let's triage. We got these three first. He's first. The one next to us is the second. This guy right here is a position too, so he might be able to help y'all out. He want our crime scene. Uh, I mean if they want to come out here and help me take photos, but other than that we'll be all right. This guy >> We got one here. We got one here. Number one triage is there. >> This is number one here. >> Yeah, this is number one here on the side. >> Then it's okay. We >> We look out for each other. >> No, no, no, no, no, no. Leave Leave that on. Leave that on. >> Put this >> And then we're going to get >> What's the priority here? >> Yeah, I think I have them in the back. >> Whatever gloves you got. >> You're okay. You're okay. You're okay. You're okay. Do we know how far how far off? >> Uh, six. >> So, I don't know if you want to pull him or if you want to pull him a little bit. >> Whenever y'all find out, just let me know we can get all these people cleared out wherever y'all need to land. >> Hey Grip, how far out of the chopper? >> This line either me or the other troop, just give it to one of us and we'll get everybody cleared out wherever y'all want to land. We'll open it up for you. >> Okay. >> So, they're all from the >> This one is They're all in the van. >> Okay. >> And we have one Is he still up from the van? >> I'm assuming he was in the van. I don't >> Yeah, but he's still >> Okay. Talking to that one guy, he Yeah, he said he saw it all. This truck was two cars behind him. They were coming up on 11:19 heading west, and he just right over at the last second to get on 11:19 right in front of us. >> He was trying to get on this county road right here? Okay. I don't know if you got any witness statements in your car. >> talked to anyone. Oh, uh Maybe. If not, I got his phone number and everything if you got to get home and later on or something. Clear some of this traffic either bird landed. Hey, I'm out on the Me and Reader are on the two-vehicle head-on. We got at least three dead at the moment. We're getting air flight here. Uh 67. That's where Summer Brook got in line. Yeah. Two-vehicle head-on. Driver crossed over a double yellow to try to get on on a county road and head-on with a minivan. At least three three dead. Three tourniqueted. We're landing three birds here whenever they get here. No, the driver of unit one has a femur fracture and a head wound. We just got him boarded up. Driver of unit two has got two broken legs. Uh they're getting in the back of the box now. All the passengers from the minivan are deceased. I haven't even got to yet. I've been helping out with this femur fracture. Uh firefighters and there's there happened to be a physician driving by and he stopped and he triage the rest to check for that now. Do you receive a no? Since there's there's three deceased. >> Five. >> Is there five deceased? Okay, there's five. >> There's two up front. There's two in the middle and there's one kid in the back. >> Yeah, and you have two. Both our defensive units one are critical now, but they're not the only way. So, uh Yeah, just uh if you want to you know, just notify Garcia. I mean, I'm out of here, so we're we're covering, but uh just let them know. All right. Appreciate it, sir. >> Inside the Honda Odyssey was a family returning home after spending the day at the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose. The minivan was driven by 28-year-old Rashel Bari and carried six of his relatives, Naveena Pothabathula, Nagaswarao Ponada, Seetha Mahalakshmi Ponada, Lokesh Pothabathula, and two young children, 10-year-old Kruthik Pothabathula, and 9-year-old Nishita Pothabathula. None of them could have anticipated that their holiday outing was about to end in tragedy. >> We're going to talk to him? You got his phone number? We need to We're landing the bird in the city again and out of here. What do you need from us, man? >> Uh right now, we just got to get him out of here. >> Okay. >> Like I said, crime scene's on the way. She'll be here shortly. She can do your photographs side of it. >> Okay. >> Um we're turning those people around. >> Okay. >> I got them last. We're doing a social media post to keep everybody away from here for a while. >> We got uh Both drivers are in the boxes. They're extracting him. Five deceased. >> How many? >> Five Uh three birds are landing. We're getting three people out of here once they get out of here. >> How you doing, officer? How are you? >> Okay, so the mother of the driver of the white truck is sitting over there. So, she wants to know what's going on, where they're going to take them. >> Okay. Well, when I figure it out, we'll let her know. Where she at? >> She's over there. Is she parked back there? >> Right there in that white in that in that white uh 4Runner? >> That 4Runner. >> Yeah, we'll let her know when we figure it out. It's just up to her flight, so probably tonight. They'll have to assess them. >> And just to let you know, uh So they say I was the first officer on the scene. >> Okay. >> I'm not a police officer. >> Okay. >> Okay. >> Yes, sir. >> So I'm an ATF technician. I used to be a police officer. >> Okay, all right, all right. >> So and we talked So like this >> That was right. It's a >> It's a break. >> Yeah. >> So came here and talked about uh took one of the guys out here. He was the only one that was actually in motion and >> Yeah, they just loaded >> they got him out. So couldn't get the rest of them out till we get these jaws of life over here. But uh other than that, I mean, we've been putting out fires and you know, got a lot of good people out here. Very good people. >> Usually at crime scenes like some of the state so she can get pictures of >> Perfect, perfect. >> So >> I just like to notify the ME cuz you know I just >> It's going to be like an hour and >> As soon as she texts me and says she's on her way, I'll say can I go and call them and that way the time she gets here starts everything they're here. >> I just I hate having them out. >> No, I got you. >> I don't want them out any longer than they have to. >> I got you. >> I don't remember if anybody was in front of me, but he came this way and crossed over and pretty much I don't know if he was asleep or on his phone or anything like that. I have no idea. >> The crash claimed the lives of Rushil Bari, Naveena Potabathula, Nageswararao Ponada, Sitamahalakshmi Ponada, 10-year-old Kruthik Potabathula, and 9-year-old Nishida Potabathula. The only survivor from the Honda Odyssey was 36-year-old Lokish Potabathula, who suffered catastrophic spinal injuries that left him permanently paralyzed from the waist down. The pickup truck's passenger, 17-year-old Preston Glass, also survived but sustained a severe traumatic brain injury resulting in permanent mental impairment. >> What's up? My lieutenant was asking about it. Apparently 458 and 11 are calling us asking questions. He's like y'all might want to set up a media area. Is there Okay. Doing so if you want to set one up let me know when I'll say hey if they start showing up this is where we're setting all of that. >> Yeah, we can do that. And it's just to just >> in case they show up. I mean hopefully they don't but >> Yeah, if they do we can just if we're turning all the traffic around back there we can just keep them on that side. >> Keep them on that side. >> Cuz I think we're landing two more birds so I don't want them coming over this way. White on that side of the road there's a white Toyota 4Runner. It's the driver of the white Toyota white truck that hit the mom. >> Okay. >> Uh somebody's on the way with a drone. Hansel's on his way out here. Cross CSS sent out a message to the crash team. Some of the guys will be showing up. County's crime scene guys are showing up. They set up a media area on the other side of those back fire trucks in case they show up. But right now I mean not much we can do till you let me know. >> I looked in this truck. Once again not my really much I can do until I can get access to both sides but everything's so jam-packed in this car that thing I found. That's all we got so far. This kid's mom is down on the other end. >> Kid's mom? >> Driver's mom. But we I don't have his date of birth. I just or I just know his name is is Luke and Preston is all I know. >> Is this the white truck? >> It is. It's the Luke. >> Yeah. Yeah. I gave it to Carol Piper. >> I'm trying to figure out which one pulled that guy to this in the to see like where he was at the time >> I think when I when I got up he was double tourniqueted. >> I want to say yes, so that was that was I want to say >> It was >> You pulled the guy out >> I walked up whenever they were pulling him out from right here. >> Do you know who pulled him out? >> Uh >> Was it that guy in the bubble hat? >> The guy in the hat with the mustache. >> I think he pulled him out. I think that's what he said to me earlier. >> He's a firefighter as well. >> They said the only thing he had on him was his cell phone. >> The cell phone didn't have anything set up and it was he didn't have any >> Where was he at in the car? Was he the driver? >> No, the driver's >> Back passenger. >> I talked to old boy whenever they get captured. >> I'm pretty sure he was passenger left. >> He was passenger. >> Middle passenger left. >> Okay. >> I was I was coming from the side road right here. >> Yeah. >> And I was coming from the mine. >> Yeah. >> And I looked up I you know and I seen the flash and I said what the hell was that? >> Yeah. >> And that's whenever I called 911. >> I was going to call 911. >> Okay, perfect. >> Yeah, I'm going to call Garcia. Just give me a minute, bud. Uh Six deceased on scene. Uh three flown. Uh We got pictures. Uh county crime scene tech guys are here and they're going to process the car with the six bodies in there. And then uh so I'm just going to get a copy of their photos when they're done with them. Me and Reader are about to lay some paint. And so that way when Greg gets here he can just put it up. And he's around and we'll be uh loading them up. >> Following the crash, Luke Garrett Resecker was charged as an adult with multiple offenses, including six counts of manslaughter, two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of marijuana. Because of the serious injuries he sustained in the collision, he was released on a $50,000 bond and placed under monitored home confinement while awaiting trial. After a week-long trial, a Johnson County jury found him guilty, bringing the criminal case to a close. For the families forever changed by the events of December 26th, 2023, however, the consequences of that day will last a lifetime.