13-year-old drove pickup that killed six college golfers in ...

Seven members of University of the Southwest golf team killed in Texas crash. Read more. The child and a man traveling in the truck also ... SkiptomaincontentSkiptonavigationAdvertisementNewsOpinionSportCultureLifestyleShowMoreShowMoreNewsWorldnewsUKnewsCoronavirusClimatecrisisEnvironmentScienceGlobaldevelopmentFootballTechBusinessObituariesOpinionTheGuardianviewColumnistsCartoonsOpinionvideosLettersSportFootballCricketRugbyunionTennisCyclingF1GolfUSsportsCultureBooksMusicTV&radioArt&designFilmGamesClassicalStageLifestyleFashionFoodRecipesLove&sexHealth&fitnessHome&gardenWomenMenFamilyTravelMoneyMakeacontributionSubscribeSearchjobsHolidaysDigitalArchiveGuardianPuzzlesappGuardiancontentlicensingsiteTheGuardianappVideoPodcastsPicturesNewslettersToday'spaperInsidetheGuardianTheObserverGuardianWeeklyCrosswordsFacebookTwitterSearchjobsHolidaysDigitalArchiveGuardianPuzzlesappGuardiancontentlicensingsiteFootballCricketRugbyunionTennisCyclingF1GolfUSsportsCollegesports13-year-olddrovepickupthatkilledsixcollegegolfersinTexascrashInvestigatorssay13-year-oldwasbehindwheeloftruckincrashNinepeoplediedasaresultofhead-oncollisioninwestTexasApickuptruckcrossedthecenterlineofatwo-laneroadinAndrewsCounty,about30mileseastoftheNewMexicostatelineonTuesdayeveningandcrashedintoavancarryingmembersoftheUniversityoftheSouthwestmen'sandwomen'sgolfteams.Photograph:EliHartman/APApickuptruckcrossedthecenterlineofatwo-laneroadinAndrewsCounty,about30mileseastoftheNewMexicostatelineonTuesdayeveningandcrashedintoavancarryingmembersoftheUniversityoftheSouthwestmen'sandwomen'sgolfteams.Photograph:EliHartman/APAssociatedPressThu17Mar202223.07GMTLastmodifiedonThu17Mar202223.52GMTA13-year-oldwasdrivingthepickuptruckthatstruckavaninWestTexasinafierycollisionthatkilledninepeople,includingsixmembersofacollegegolfteamandtheircoach,aNationalTransportationSafetyBoardofficialsaidThursday.SevenmembersofUniversityoftheSouthwestgolfteamkilledinTexascrashReadmoreThechildandamantravelinginthetruckalsodied.Thetruck’sleftfronttire,whichwasasparetire,alsoblewoutbeforeimpact,saidNTSBvicechairmanBruceLandsberg.Althoughitwasunclearhowfastthetwovehiclesweretraveling,“thiswasclearlyahigh-speedcollision,”Landsbergsaid.Onemustbe14inTexastostarttakingclassroomcoursesforalearner’slicenseand15toreceivethatprovisionallicensetodrivewithaninstructororlicensedadultinthevehicle.DepartmentofPublicSafetysergeantVictorTaylorsaida13-year-olddrivingwouldbebreakingthelaw.Thepickuptruckcrossedintotheoppositelaneonadarkened,two-lanehighwaybeforecollidinghead-onwithavan,killingtheboy,amantravelingwithhim,sixNewMexicocollegestudentsandagolfcoach.TheUniversityoftheSouthweststudents,includingonefromPortugalandonefromMexico,andthecoachwerereturningfromagolftournamentwhenthevehiclescollidedTuesdaynight.TwoCanadianstudentswerehospitalizedincriticalcondition.TheNTSBsentaninvestigativeteamtothecrashsiteinTexas’AndrewsCounty,about30miles(50km)eastoftheNewMexicostateline.UniversityoftheSouthwestspokeswomanMariaDuartedeclinedtocommentontheNTSB’sannouncementabouttheyoungdriver,citingtheongoinginvestigation.Thegolfteamsweretravelingina2017FordTransitvanthatwastowingaboxtrailerwhenitcollidedwiththetruck,andbothvehiclesburstintoflames,accordingtoNTSBspokesmanEricWeiss.Hesaidthevehiclescrashedonatwo-laneasphalthighwaywherethespeedlimitis75mph(120kph),thoughinvestigatorshavenotyetdeterminedhowfasteithervehiclewastraveling.TheTexasDepartmentofPublicSafetyidentifiedthedeceasedas:GolfcoachTylerJames,26,ofHobbs,NewMexico;andplayersMauricioSanchez,19,ofMexico;TravisGarcia,19,ofPleasanton,Texas;JacksonZinn,22,ofWestminster,Colorado;KarisaRaines,21,ofFortStockton,Texas;LaciStone,18,ofNocona,Texas;andTiagoSousa,18,ofPortugal.AlsokilledwereHenrichSiemens,38,ofSeminoleCounty,Texas,andtheunidentified13-year-oldboywhowereinthe2007Dodge2500pickup.CriticallyinjuredaboardthevanwereCanadianstudentsDaytonPrice,19,ofMississauga,Ontario,andHaydenUnderhill,20,ofAmherstview,Ontario.BothweretakenbyhelicoptertotheUniversityMedicalCenterinLubbock,about110miles(180km)tothenortheast.“Theyarebothstableandrecoveringandeverydaymakingmoreandmoreprogress,”UniversityoftheSouthwestprovostRyanTiptonsaidThursdayofthetwoinjuredstudents.“Oneofthestudentsiseatingchickensoup,”saidTipton,callingtheirrecovery“agameofinches”.UniversityoftheSouthwestgolfplayers,fromleft,PhillipLopez,JonnyFloresandHalieCruzvisitthesiteofamemorialonThursdayatRockwindCommunityLinksinHobbs,NewMexico.Photograph:EliHartman/APTiptonsaidUniversitypresidentQuintThurmanvisitedthestudents’parentsatthehospital,illustratingtheclosecommunityatthecollegewithonlyabout350on-campusstudents.Underhill’sbrotherDrewsaidtheirparents,KenandWendy,flewtoTexas.“Hockeywasabigpartoflifeforawhile,buthistruepassionisgolf,”DrewUnderhillsaid.TheMexicanFederationofGolfpostedanonlinenoteofcondolencetothelovedonesofMauricioSanchez.SousawasfromPortugal’ssoutherncoast,wherehegraduatedfromhighschoollastsummerbeforeheadingtocollegeintheUS,saidRenataAfonso,headoftheEscolaSecundáriadeLoulé.“Anyschoolwouldbedelightedtohavehadhimasastudent,”shesaid.Stone’smotherwroteofherlossonFacebookWednesday.“Shehasbeenanabsoluterayofsunshineduringthisshorttimeonearth,”ChelsiStonesaidinapost.“Wewillneverbethesameafterthisandwejustdon’tunderstandhowthishappenedtoouramazing,beautiful,smart,joyfulgirl.”TeammemberJasminCollumhadbeenscheduledtoplaybutatthelastminutedecidedinsteadtovisitherparentsinHouston,hermothersaid.“Weknewallthosepeopleonboard,”TonyaCollumsaid.“Basicallythewholeteamisgoneorinthehospital.”TheUniversityoftheSouthwestisaprivate,ChristiancollegelocatedinHobbs,NewMexico,nearthestatelinewithTexas.AmemorialwassetupWednesdayatthecoursenearcampuswheretheteampractices.Therewereflowers,golfballsandahandmadesignwithacrossandtheinitialsUSW.“It’stheveryleastwecouldtofortheplayers,andofcourseCoachJames,”saidRockwindCommunityLinksManagerBenKirkes.“Thesekidsweregreatkidsandtheyweregreat,greatcommunitymembers,”Kirkessaid.TheuniversitysaidonTwitterthatcounselingandreligiousserviceswouldbeavailableoncampus.NewMexicogovernorMichelleLujanGrishamsaidonFacebookthatsheis“deeplysaddened”bythelossoflife.TexasgovernorGregAbbottalsoexpressedsympathy,saying:“WegrievewiththelovedonesoftheindividualswhoseliveswerehorrificallytakentoosooninthisfatalvehiclecrashnearAndrewslastnight.”TheteamshadbeentakingpartinagolftournamentatMidlandCollege,about315miles(505km)westofDallas.MidlandCollegecanceledWednesday’splaybecauseofthecrash.TopicsCollegesportsGolfUSsportsReusethiscontentMostpopularMostpopularFootballCricketRugbyunionTennisCyclingF1GolfUSsports