Preliminary report gives more details about wrong-way Johnson County crash that killed 6
A preliminary crash report from the Texas Department of Transportation gives more details about the fatal Johnson County accident that killed six people, including two children, the day after Christmas.
According to the investigator’s summary, a white Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck traveling southwest on U.S. 67 was approaching County Road 1119 when the pickup crossed over the double yellow line, which indicates a no passing zone, and entered the northeast lane of traffic. A gray Honda Odyssey traveling northeast tried to avoid the Silverado, but the Silverado struck the minivan head-on. Both vehicles came to a stop in the northeast lane.
The Silverado’s driver and passenger, both 17-year-olds, sustained critical incapacitating injuries and were airlifted to Fort Worth hospitals. One of the airbags deployed in the Silverado, according to the report. The driver was wearing a seat belt, but the passenger was not. Neither was ejected from the truck during the crash.
One passenger in the Odyssey, 43-year-old Lokesh Potabathula of Alpharetta, Georgia, also sustained critical incapacitating injuries and was airlifted to a Fort Worth hospital. Potabathula was seated in the second row on the left side of the minivan. According to the report, he wasn’t wearing a seat belt.
Only two occupants of the Honda Odyssey were listed in the report as wearing seat belts: the 28-year-old driver, Rushil Barri of Irving, and Lokesh’s wife, 36-year-old Naveena Potabathula. Both died at the scene.
Lokesh’s son Krithik, 10, and daughter Nishidha, 9, and Naveena’s parents, who were visiting from India — Nageswararao Ponnada, 64, and Sitamahalakshmi Ponnada, 60 — also died in the crash.
The family was returning from a trip to Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Somervell County when the crash occurred, KXAS-TV reported.
Multiple airbags deployed in the Honda Odyssey, and no one was ejected from the vehicle, the report said. The investigator listed Wrong Side - Not Passing, as the only contributing factor to the crash.
It’s still not clear why the Silverado crossed over the double yellow line on the undivided highway, but if the driver was trying to get on CR 1119, he would’ve had to cross the northbound lane to access it, according to maps of the area and Cleburne Assistant Fire Chief Keith Scarbrough.
According to the report, the crash occurred about 200 feet from CR 1119.
In the wake of the accident, multiple people posted on social media about the dangers associated with that stretch of road.
“So much pain and suffering coming from that part of the highway,” a woman said. “My niece and daughter had an accident in that area of the road several years ago.”
“I was in a horrible wreck in this same spot almost 20 years ago,” another woman posted.
“The highway needs to be a 4 lane with turning lanes all the way from Cleburne to Glen Rose,” someone noted. “This has been a death trap for years. So many have died, what will it take for the state to take action and fix the highway?”
The Silverado’s driver had a Texas drivers license with a G restriction because he was under 18. According to the Texas Transportation Code, drivers with a G restriction are prohibited from using a wireless device while operating a motor vehicle, except in the case of an emergency. They may not drive between midnight and 5 a.m., and they are only allowed to transport one passenger under the age of 21 unless it is a family member.
The results of a drug test taken on the Silverado’s driver at the time of the accident were marked as “unknown.” There’s no mention as to whether an alcohol test was done.
The investigation into the accident is ongoing. A more complete report will be released at a later date.
This story was originally published January 24, 2024 at 4:19 PM.
