The University of the Southwest (USW) in Texas is mourning the loss of six students and one faculty member after the van carrying them home from a golf tournament collided with a pickup truck Tuesday night.
Sgt. Steven Blanco of the Texas Department of Public Safety disclosed that the accident occurred at 8:17 pm on a two-lane road nine miles outside the city of Andrews in Midland-Odessa.
“For unknown reasons, the Dodge pickup drove into the northbound lane and struck the Ford passenger van head on. Both vehicles caught fire and burned,” the state agency said in a statement, as reported by NBC News.
The fiery crash claimed the lives of nine people, including six students, one coach, and two others. Two other students were taken to a Lubbock hospital by helicopter and are in critical condition.
The deceased victims were identified as Tyler James, 26, Mauricio Sanchez, 19, Travis Garcia, 19, Jackson Zinn, 22, Karisa Raines, 21, Laci Stone, 18, and Tiago Sousa, 18. While the two other students in the hospital are Dayton Price, 19, and Hayden Underhill, 20.
“We are still learning the details about the accident but we are devastated and deeply saddened to learn about the loss of our students’ lives and their coach,” University President Quint Thurman said.