Texas teen to serve 65 years for DUI crash that killed Georgia family members
A Texas teenager was sentenced to 65 years in prison for causing a deadly 2023 crash that killed six family members, including three from Georgia, while under the influence of marijuana, according to prosecutors.
Luke Garrett Resecker, who turned 19 on Oct. 13, was recently convicted on multiple charges for the Dec. 26, 2023, crash south of Fort Worth, Texas.
Investigators believe Resecker tried to pass another vehicle in a 2014 Chevrolet Silverado on U.S. 67 when he struck a 2021 Honda Odyssey head-on, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. The crash killed Naveena Potabathula, 36, and her 10-year-old son Krithik and 9-year-old daughter Nishidha, who had recently moved to Alpharetta. Rushil Barri, 28, of Texas, and Nageswararao Ponnada, 64, and Sitamahalakshmi Ponnada, 60, both of India, were also killed.
Lokesh Potabathula, who was the only person in the Odyssey to survive, was paralyzed from the waist down, according to prosecutors. A passenger in Resecker’s truck sustained a traumatic brain injury.
THC, the active compound in marijuana, was found in Resecker’s truck, and toxicology tests later confirmed it was in his body at the time of the crash, according to investigators.
“Justice for Rushil, Justice for Naveena, Justice for Nageswararao, Justice for Sitamahalakshmi, Justice for Kruthik, Justice for Nishidharaman, and Justice for Lokesh and Justice for this community,” Stephanie Miller, assistant district attorney for Johnson and Somervell counties, said in her closing arguments.
Resecker was convicted on all 14 charges he faced, including multiple counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, manslaughter and driving while intoxicated, court records show.
“We are absolutely heartbroken by this unfortunate incident,” organizer Suneetha Gudipalli wrote on a GoFundMe page after the crash. “We want to ease their financial strain during this difficult time. Every contribution, no matter how small, will make a difference.”
Krithik was a sixth grader at Autrey Mill Middle School, while Nishidha was a fourth grader at Dolvin Elementary, state Rep. Michelle Au confirmed after the crash.
“This tragedy stands as a sobering reminder of the irreversible consequences of impaired and reckless driving,” prosecutors said in a social media post.
