The crash remained under investigation Monday, according to DPS. They included freshmen Laci Stone of Nocona, Texas; Travis Garcia of Pleasanton, Texas; Mauricio Sanchez of Mexico; and Tiago Sousa of Portugal. She captured all positivity and thats what she wanted to bring to life. A small plane carrying five employees of CTEH crashed shortly after takeoff from Little Rock, The National Transportation Safety Board was sending an investigative team to the crash site Wednesday, spokesman Eric Weiss said. At about 8:17 p.m. on Tuesday evening, the pickup truck crossed into the opposite lane on the darkened, two-lane highway before colliding head-on with the van. The teams were taking part in a golf tournament at Midland College, about 315 miles (505 kilometers) west of Dallas. He coached the men and the women. These kids were great kids and they were great, great community members, Kirkes said. Henrich Siemens, 38, of Seminole County, Texas, and the unidentified 13-year-old boy were in the 2007 Dodge 2500 pickup. Critically injured aboard the van were Canadian students Dayton Price, 19, of Mississauga, Ontario, and Hayden Underhill, 20, of Amherstview. Friends joined him Wednesday as he received a 2023 Toyota Corolla LE from Lynch Toyota of Auburn. All of the players and their coaches from the participating schools met together early this morning, Midland College athletic director Forrest Allen said in a statement Wednesday. Texas Department of Public Safety Troopers responded to a crash on IH-35 northbound near Wiggins Road, south of West around 6:00 a.m. this morning. Well try to find out not only what happened, but why it happened, so we can possibly prevent things like this from happening in the future, he said. Its not unusual for young teens to drive in that region and other more rural parts of the United States, but in Texas, one must be 14 to begin classroom instruction for a learners license. We grieve with the loved ones of the individuals whose lives were horrifically taken too soon in this fatal vehicle crash near Andrews last night, Abbott said. Michelle Lujan Grisham said on Facebook that she is deeply saddened by the loss of life. (NewsWest 9 KWES-TV via AP). She wanted to love, she wanted to be happy, she wanted to find the good in every situation.. Matt Garcia was Travis best friend and spent countless hours on the golf course with him. The San Antonio Police Department, the San Antonio Fire Department and EMS all responded to the call. "It was a pretty drastic scene," Casarez said. Any school would be delighted to have had him as a student, she said. The crash also killed the young teen driver and a 38-year-old man traveling in the truck with him. The University of the Southwest is a private, Christian college located in Hobbs, New Mexico, near the state line with Texas. Example video title will go here for this video. Six students and a faculty member were killed in the crash along with the driver and a passenger in the pickup truck, Blanco said. Hockey was a big part of life for a while, but his true passion is golf, Drew Underhill said. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. All rights reserved. Champions in Ag. We knew all those people on board, Tonya Collum said. We grieve with the loved ones of the individuals whose lives were horrifically taken too soon in this fatal vehicle crash near Andrews last night. The University of the Southwest students, including one from Portugal and one from Mexico, and the coach were returning from a golf tournament when the crash occurred Tuesday night. ANDREWS, Texas (KCBD) - Nine people were killed in a crash Tuesday night when a van carrying members of a New Mexico universitys golf team crashed head-on with a pickup truck. The donation website supports victims and their families. Its the very least we could to for the players, and of course Coach James, said Rockwind Community Links Manager Ben Kirkes. Two Canadian students were hospitalized in critical condition. Lawrence Jenkins/The Dallas Morning News, via Associated Press. The deceased USW students and coach have been identified as: The National Transportation Safety Board sent an investigative team to the crash site in Texas Andrews County, about 30 miles east of the New Mexico state line. Sousa was from Portugal's southern coast, where he graduated from high school last summer before heading to college in the U.S., said Renata Afonso, head of the Escola Secundria de Loul. Laci Stone was majoring in global business management, according to her biography on the golf teams website. Completely separate response.. Associated Press writers Jake Bleiberg and Jamie Stengle in Dallas, and Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report. Medically Speaking. Steven Blanco of the Texas Department of Public Safety. Kirkes said he saw the team members nearly every day, and was close with them. A vehicle carrying members of the University of the Southwest's golf teams collided head-on with a pickup truck in West Texas, killing multiple people, authorities said. Steven Blanco of the Texas Department of Public Safety. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. The Texas Department of Public Safety is working closely with local officials to investigate this accident, and we offer our full support to the University of the Southwest and the state of New Mexico. NTSB Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg said the trucks left front tire, which was a spare tire, also blew out before impact. Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. The speed limit at the crash site is 75 mph. All Rights Reserved. Drive Times. The state agency later identified the deceased as: Golf coach Tyler James, 26, of Hobbs, New Mexico; and players Mauricio Sanchez, 19, of Mexico; Travis Garcia, 19, of Pleasanton, Texas; Jackson Zinn, 22, of Westminster, Colorado; Karisa Raines, 21, of Fort Stockton, Texas; Laci Stone, 18, of Nocona, Texas; and Tiago Sousa, 18, of Portugal. Emergency crews tried to save the man, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. There were flowers, golf balls, and a handmade sign with a cross and the initials USW. We dont know what happened. Greg Abbott also expressed sympathy, saying: We grieve with the loved ones of the individuals whose lives were horrifically taken too soon in this fatal vehicle crash near Andrews last night.". The trucks left front tire, which was a spare tire, also blew out before impact, he said. All Rights Reserved. RELATED: A 13-year-old Houston boy was driving Thursday when a gunman opened fire on the car, killing him. We dont know what happened. She has been an absolute ray of sunshine during this short time on earth, Chelsi Stone said in a post. He said the vehicles collided on a two-lane asphalt highway where the speed limit is 75 mph (120 kph), though investigators have not yet determined how fast either vehicle was traveling. ALL of these agencies use the the Texas DOT CRIS (Crash Report Information System) and so obtaining a copy of your report from any of them is relatively easy. 1996 - 2023 NewsHour Productions LLC. AUBURN, Ala. ( WTVM /Gray News) A student from Auburn University won a new car after sinking a full-court putt during halftime of a basketball game. Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Gib Stevens, 57, of Hobbs, leads trucking operations for an oilfield servicing company and told AP that much of the traffic is from oilfield businesses. Midland College, which hosted the golf tournament, said Wednesday's play would be canceled because of the crash. In 2019, the fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled was 1.9 times higher in rural areas than in urban areas. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating. WebCrews work to repair a section of the Katy Freeway in Katy, Texas, on June 27, 2019. WebRound Rock / 2 months ago. The Federal Aviation Administrationis investigating the cause of the crash, Peacock said. GRIMES COUNTY, Texas (KBTX) - A fatal crash closed Highway 105 west of the Navasota city limits Wednesday afternoon. Hockey was a big part of life for a while, but his true passion is golf, Drew Underhill said. Subscribe to Here's the Deal, our politics newsletter. Eleven schools were participating in the tournament, and play was canceled on Wednesday due to the accident. Both vehicles burst into flames. HOBBS, N.M. (AP) Nine people have died in a fiery, head-on collision in West Texas, including six New Mexico university students and a coach returning from a The golf teams were traveling in a 2017 Ford Transit van that was towing a box trailerwhen it collided with the truck, and both vehicles burst into flames, according to NTSB spokesman Eric Weiss. The University of the Southwest is a private, Christian college located in Hobbs, New Mexico, near the states border with Texas. Emergency responders work the scene of a fatal crash late Tuesday, March 15, 2022 in Andrews County, Texas. Landsberg said investigators hoped to retrieve enough information from the vehicles recorders, if they survived, to understand what happened. No injuries have been reported. New Mexico Gov. Read more of this story here. U.S. road deaths rise at record pace as risky pandemic-era driving persists. The teenager was signed to record label The Noise Company, who said he died in a tragic event Monday night in a Facebook post. Two students were taken in critical condition by helicopter to a hospital in Lubbock, about 110 miles (180 kilometers) to the northeast. It had the toxicology crew from CTEH going to East Palestine, Ohio to take tests & report the extent of damage from the train wreck. She was a freshman majoring in global business management, according to her biography on the golf teams website. For a 13-year-old to be driving that road, that was dumb, Stevens said. Stones mother wrote of her loss on Facebook Wednesday. The golf teams were traveling in a 2017 Ford Transit van that was towing a box trailer when it collided with the truck, and both vehicles burst into flames, according to NTSB spokesman Eric Weiss. Most of the students killed in the crash were getting their first taste of life away from home at the private Christian university where on-campus enrollment hovers around 300. Steven Blanco of the Texas Department of Public Safety. New Mexico Gov. The pickup truck crossed into the opposite lane on a darkened, two-lane highway before colliding head-on with a van, killing the boy, a 38-year-old man traveling with him, six New Mexico college students, and a golf coach. The National Transportation Safety Board sent an investigative team to the crash site in Texas Andrews County, about 30 miles east of the New Mexico state line. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said on Facebook that she is deeply saddened by the loss of life. The University of the Southwest students, including one from Portugal and one from Mexico, and the coach were returning from a golf tournament when the crash happened Tuesday night. Laci Stone was a native of Nocona, Texas, about 80 miles north of Fort Worth. They were responding to an incident at the Schumann and Company metals plant in Bedford, Ohio, said CTEH spokesperson Denver Peacock. Best of the West. A memorial was set up Wednesday at the course near campus where the team practices, with flowers, golf balls and a handmade sign. Emergency responders work the scene of a fatal crash late Tuesday, March 15, 2022 in Andrews County, Texas. The University of the Southwest students, including one from Portugal and one from Mexico, and the coach were returning from a golf tournament. He was a really positive person, never was angry, never frustrated with anyone, so thats kind of what I try to take on, said Matt Garcia. A small plane carrying five employees of CTEH crashed shortly after takeoff from Little Rock, Arkansas, on Feb. 22, as reported by the Associated Press. 1, 2023 at 5:17 PM PST. We knew all those people on board, Tonya Collum said. A dark-colored vehicle also was unable to avoid hitting the man, but that driver pulled over to render aid, police said. Authorities are trying to determine why a pickup truck crossed into the opposite lane on a darkened, two-lane West Texas highway before colliding head-on with a van, killing nine people including six New Mexico college students and a golf coach, as well as a 13-year-old boy. The University of the Southwest on Wednesday created a fund for victims. We dont have any idea as of yet, James said during a brief phone interview. However, the crew on board the plane was not among them. Police officials state that the number of fatalities has been on a steady rise every year since 2000. Craig Noyes said hes not a golfer but sunk a 94-foot putt on Feb. 11. Victor Taylor said a 13-year-old driving would be breaking the law. A recently released crash report shows Lopez was traveling west on Dowdy Ferry Road and crossed over the double yellow lane marker and hit the second vehicle head-on. One of the students is eating chicken soup, said Tipton, calling their recovery a game of inches.. Texas Gov. AUBURN, Ala. ( WTVM /Gray News) A student from Auburn University won a new car after sinking a full-court putt during halftime of a basketball game.