HOBBS, N.M. (AP) — 9 individuals have died in a fiery, head-on collision in West Texas, together with six New Mexico college college students and a coach getting back from a golf event, in addition to a 13-year-old boy, authorities mentioned.
These killed within the Tuesday night crash included College of the Southwest college students from Portugal and Mexico. Two Canadian college students had been hospitalized in vital situation.
A pickup truck crossed the middle line of a two-lane highway in Andrews County, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) east of the New Mexico state line, and crashed right into a van carrying members of the college’s males’s and ladies’s golf groups, mentioned Sgt. Steven Blanco of the Texas Division of Public Security.
The state company later recognized the deceased as: Golf coach Tyler James, 26, of Hobbs, New Mexico; and gamers 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.
Additionally killed had been Henrich Siemans, 38, of Seminole County, Texas, and an unidentified 13-year-old boy who had been touring with him within the 2007 Dodge 2500 pickup.
Critically injured aboard the van had been Canadian college students Dayton Worth, 19, of Mississauga, Ontario, and Hayden Underhill, 20, of Amherstview, Ontario. Each had been taken by helicopter to the College Medical Middle in Lubbock, about 110 miles (180 kilometers) to the northeast.
Underhill’s brother Drew mentioned their mother and father, Ken and Wendy, had been on a airplane headed to Texas.
“Hockey was a giant a part of life for some time, however his true ardour is golf,” Drew Underhill mentioned. “From a small city in Ontario, he’s doing OK.”
The Mexican Federation of Golf posted a web-based observe of condolence to the family members of Mauricio Sanchez.
Stone’s mom wrote of her loss on Fb Wednesday.
“She has been an absolute ray of sunshine throughout this quick time on earth,” Chelsi Stone mentioned in a publish. “… We are going to by no means be the identical after this and we simply don’t perceive how this occurred to our wonderful, lovely, sensible, joyful lady.”
Stone graduated in 2021 from Nocona Excessive Faculty, the place she performed golf, volleyball and softball. She was a freshman majoring in world enterprise administration, in response to her biography on the golf staff’s web site.
James’ mom, June James, mentioned she knew little in regards to the circumstances of the collision. He coached the lads and the ladies.
“We don’t know what occurred. It’s an enormous investigation. We don’t have any concept as of but,” James mentioned throughout a quick cellphone interview.
Workforce member Jasmin Collum had been scheduled to play however on the final minute determined as a substitute to go to her mother and father in Houston, her mom mentioned.
“We knew all these individuals on board,” Tonya Collum mentioned. “Principally the entire staff is gone or within the hospital.”
The Nationwide Transportation Security Board was sending an investigative staff to the crash website Wednesday, spokesman Eric Weiss mentioned.
The golf staff was touring in a 2017 Ford Transit van that was towing a field trailer when it collided with the truck, and each autos burst into flames, Weiss mentioned. They collided on a two-lane asphalt freeway the place the velocity restrict is 75 mph (120 kph), although investigators haven't but decided how briskly both car was touring, he mentioned.
The College of the Southwest is a non-public, Christian faculty positioned in Hobbs, New Mexico, close to the state line with Texas.
A memorial was arrange Wednesday on the course close to campus the place the staff practices. There have been flowers, golf balls and a home made signal with a cross and the initials USW.
“It’s the very least we may to for the gamers, and naturally Coach James,” mentioned Rockwind Neighborhood Hyperlinks Supervisor Ben Kirkes.
“These children had been nice children and so they had been nice, nice neighborhood members,” mentioned Kirkes.
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham mentioned on Fb that she is “deeply saddened” by the lack of life.
“It is a horrible accident. As we await further info from authorities, my prayers are with the neighborhood and the family members of all these concerned,” she mentioned.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott additionally expressed sympathy.
“We grieve with the family members of the people whose lives had been horrifically taken too quickly on this deadly car crash close to Andrews final night time,” Abbott mentioned.
The groups had been participating in a golf event at Midland School, about 315 miles (505 kilometers) west of Dallas.
“We're nonetheless studying the main points in regards to the accident however we're devastated and deeply saddened to be taught in regards to the lack of our college students’ lives and their coach,” College President Quint Thurman mentioned in a press release.
The college mentioned on Twitter that counseling and spiritual companies can be out there on campus.
Midland School mentioned Wednesday’s play can be canceled due to the crash. Eleven colleges had been collaborating within the occasion.
“The entire gamers and their coaches from the collaborating colleges met collectively early this morning,” Midland School athletic director Forrest Allen mentioned in a press release Wednesday. “We had been all shocked to be taught of this tragedy, and our ideas and prayers are with USW as they grieve this horrible loss.”
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Bleed reported from Little Rock, Arkansas, and Snow reported from Phoenix. Related Press writers Jake Bleiberg and Jamie Stengle in Dallas, and Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.
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Attanasio is a corps member for the Related Press/Report for America Statehouse Information Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit nationwide service program that locations journalists in native newsrooms to report on under-covered points. Comply with Attanasio on Twitter.
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