New photos have emerged of the six members of a Georgia family who were killed in Texas on Tuesday while visiting their relative for Christmas.
From the family The minivan was struck head-on by a Chevrolet pickup driven by a 17-year-old who was traveling the wrong way on the highway.
The 17-year-old driver and his passenger, also 17, were seriously injured.
But six of the seven people in the Honda Odyssey minivan were killed.
Lokesh Potabathula, 43, was the sole survivor of the crash and lost his wife, son, daughter, mother-in-law, father-in-law and cousin Rushil Barri, 28, who was driving.
Lokesh Potabathula, 43, (back, yellow t-shirt) lost his wife Naveena Potabathula, 36 (second from right); her parents Nageswararao Ponnada, 64 (second from left); and Sitamahalakshmi Ponnada, 60 (front); and his children, Krithik Potabathula, 10 (far right), and Nishidha Potabathula, 9 (far left), next to his cousin
Rushil Barri, 28, was driving the Honda Odyssey home after a day out at the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center on December 26
Barri had taken his relatives to the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center and drove home to Irving, Texas when the crash occurred, south of Fort Worth on US 67 in Johnson County.
Barri moved to the US from India in August 2020 and settled in Texas: the remaining family members lived in Alpharetta, Georgia.
Potabathula remains in critical condition in hospital. The accident caused him to lose his sight, 11Alive reported, and may never run again.
He is in “critical condition and undergoing multiple surgeries as he had a deep intestinal injury, several fractures all over his body including spine, ribs and extremities,” according to a GoFundMe page set up to support him that has raised more than $250,000 has collected.
He lost his wife Naveena Potabathula, 36; her parents Nageswararao Ponnada, 64; and Sitamahalakshmi Ponnada, 60; and his children, Krithik Potabathula, 10, and Nishidha Potabathula, 9, in addition to his cousin.
Barri, 28, had moved to Texas from India in August 2020. He was killed Tuesday in a head-on car accident when a pickup truck traveling the wrong way struck his car.
The two badly damaged vehicles – a Honda Odyssey and a Chevrolet pickup – were seen after Tuesday's crash on US 67 in Johnson County
The accident happened at 4pm on Tuesday as the family returned from a day at the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center
Ambulances and fire trucks are pictured at the scene of Tuesday's accident
Ayyappala Bandaru (left), Barri's roommate, said they were “like brothers” and praised his friend's ambition
Barri's roommate Ayyappala Bandaru told the story NBC News that a message was sent from his friend's iPhone at 4:01 PM on Tuesday, stating that the phone was registering a crash.
“We were in shock, just like what had just happened,” Bandaru said.
“We've tried to reach everyone in the car, but no one is answering.”
He said Barri was ambitious and driven.
“We were like brothers,” Bandaru said. “He actually looks like my brother here.
'He had very big dreams. He always thought about tomorrow. He used to say, 'Man, we gotta rule this world.'
“We came here with a lot of struggle.”
Sergeant William Lockridge of the Texas Department of Public Safety said it was unclear why the 17-year-old was driving the wrong way.
“For a reason unknown at the time, the Chevrolet pickup entered the northbound lane and struck the Honda Odyssey head-on,” he said.