The National Transportation Safety Board has determined that a 13-year-old was driving the pickup truck that smashed into a University of the Southwest bus, killing six collegiate golfers and their head coach.
The NTSB announced its findings on Thursday, after the agency sent a team to Andrews, Texas to investigate the crash.
The crash occurred around 8:17pm on Tuesday evening while the USW team was returning from a competition in Midland, Texas. The pickup truck reportedly drifted over the centre line for reasons unknown and struck the USW golfers head-on. The vehicles then burst into flame.
Two of the golfers, Dayton Price and Hayden Underhill, survived the wreck and are in critical condition.
The USW golfers killed in the crash were Mauricio Sanchez, 19, of Mexico; Travis Garcia, 19, of Texas; Jackson Zinn, 22, of Colorado; Karisa Raines, 21, of Texas; Laci Stone, 18, of Texas, and Tiago Sousa, 18, of Portugal.
USW men and women's head coach Tyler James, 26, who had just started his first year in the position, was also killed in the crash.
The driver of the pickup truck that struck the team's vehicle, Henrich Siemens, 38, and a 13-year-old unnamed passenger also died in the accident.
Gary Raines, the father of Karisa, appeared on The "Today" show to discuss his daughter's death.
“We are praying so much for the families of all those other kids,” he said. “Right now we just keep thinking we’re gonna wake up from this terrible nightmare. But it’s not happening.”
The National Transportation Safety Board dispatched a team on Wednesday to investigate the accident.
After the accident was reported, Midland College - where the USW team was competing prior to the deadly crash - announced it would keep the team's scorecards up on its scoreboard to honour their memory. The school also lowered its flags to half-mast, and will keep them there through Friday.
USW Provost Dr Ryan Tipton thanked the communities in Texas and New Mexico on Thursday who have offered their condolences and support for the families of those killed and the university of as a whole.
"Everybody is a Mustang right now," he said.
Texas Mayor Greg Abbott issued a statement expressing his condolences to the victims and their families on Wednesday.
"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," he said. "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. I ask Texans to join Cecilia and me in praying for the families of those whose lives were lost and for the recovery of two critically injured students."
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham also offered sympathies in a statement following reports of the crash.
“I am deeply saddened by news of a fatal crash involving students and staff from the University of the Southwest in Hobbs,” she wrote on Twitter. “This is a terrible, tragic accident. As we await additional information from authorities, my prayers are with the loved ones of all those involved.”
