JOHNSON COUNTY, Texas — Five people -- including two children -- from Alpharetta, Georgia, are dead following a Texas crash in the suburban Dallas-Fort Worth metro.
The crash killed a total of six people, including those from Alpharetta, and three are still critical in the hospital.
According to a release from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) shared Wednesday morning, the two-car crash happened on Tuesday evening along US-67 near County Road 1119 in Johnson County.
Investigators said a 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and a 2021 Honda Odyssey were traveling in opposite directions on the two-lane road, roughly 45 miles south and west of Fort Worth, when the Silverado, which had been headed southbound, entered the northbound lane in a “no passing” area and struck the Odyssey "in a head-on manner" that "caused heavy damage to both vehicles."
Everyone inside the Odyssey was from Alpharetta, besides the driver; according to reports, only one occupant survived, 43-year-old Lokesh Potabathula.
The remaining five occupants were identified by DPS as Naveena Potabathula, 36, Nageswararao Ponnada, 64, Sitamahalakshmi Ponnada, 60, Kruthik Potabathula, 10, and Nishidha Potabathula, 9, all from Alpharetta, Georgia.
The driver and passenger of the Silverado, both 17, suffered critical injuries in the collision, according to the release, with one being airlifted to Fort Worth-area hospitals.
Texas' public safety department said that the unidentified victims' names are being withheld until next of kin has been notified. The release noted that Texas DPS is working with Georgia authorities to locate next of kin.
Officials added that only three of the nine people involved in the incident were wearing seatbelts at the time of the collision. The posted speed limit along the stretch of highway where the two cars collided is 70 miles per hour.
This is a developing story; please check back for updates.