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28-year-old Rushil Barri, along with five other individuals, has been reported dead after a horrific crash that took place in Johnson County on Tuesday, Dec 26, 2023. Authorities have revealed their identities and confirmed that all six individuals belong to the same family.
It has been reported that Rushil Barri moved to the US in August 2020. According to Ayyappala Bandaru, his roommate, Barri dreamt big and had huge aspirations. Friends and family of the victims are now mourning the tragic loss.
Officials have reported that the other vehicle involved in the crash was driven by a 17 year old.
Rushil Barri and five of his family members died in a tragic crash on Tuesday after a pickup truck went the wrong way on the highway
A minivan and a Chevrolet pickup truck had a head-on collision, on Tuesday, December 26, near Fort Worth in Texas. A 17-year-old teenager was allegedly driving the pickup truck and went the wrong way on the highway.
This led to the massive collision that killed six individuals who were in the minivan, along with its driver Rushil Barri. 28-year-old Barri was allegedly visiting the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center with his relatives that day, and was driving home in Irving.
Apart from Barri, the victim list includes his cousin, his cousin's wife, two young children and in-laws. Police have revealed their identities- 36-year-old Naveena Potabathula, 64-year-old Nageswararao Ponnad, 60-year-old Sitamahalakshmi Ponnada, 10-year-old Krithik Potabathula and 9-year-old Nishidha Potabathula. Only one man, 43-year-old Lokesh Potabathula, survived the crash.
According to Business Standard, all the five individuals apart from Rushil, resided in Georgia. The 17-year-old driver of the pickup truck along with another occupant of the vehicle reportedly sustained critical injuries.
Authorities are now trying to ship the bodies to India
According to the Consulate General, Nageswararao Ponnad and Sitamahalakshmi Ponnada had come to the US, from India, to meet their daughter Naveena and two grandchildren Krithik and Nishidha.
Authorities are now working to identify the victim's next of kin. Friends and family members are further mourning the tragic deaths. According to WFAA, Rakesh Barri, Rushil's brother, said:
"Just in one family, they lost five members. It’s like… I don’t even know what to say on that. It’s so hard to take. He’s my half. He’s my half."
Ayyappala Bandaru, Rushil Barri's roommate stated:
"He used to think always about tomorrow not about today. One of my friend’s is his emergency contact in his iPhone. She got a notification saying that Rushil’s iPhone got crashed."
Bandaru further added:
"One thing was Rushil is no more. The other thing is how do we send him back to his parents. That’s an important thing for us because his parents need to have their final rituals."
The Telugu Association of North America has been in contact with the Indian Embassy to ship the victims' bodies back to India.
