JOHNSON COUNTY, Texas – Nearly two years after a devastating Christmas tragedy that left six members of a visiting Georgia family dead, justice has been served. A Johnson County jury has sentenced 19-year-old Luke Garrett Resecker to 65 years in prison for his role in the horrific head-on collision that changed several lives forever.
The verdict came after a week-long trial filled with emotional testimony, forensic evidence, and heartbreaking recollections from survivors and investigators. Prosecutors said Resecker was under the influence of marijuana when he crossed into oncoming traffic on U.S. Highway 67 near County Road 1119, just outside Cleburne, on December 26, 2023.
The Fatal Crash
Investigators revealed that Resecker’s Chevy Silverado slammed head-on into a Honda Odyssey minivan, carrying a family visiting from Georgia. The impact was catastrophic, killing six of the seven occupants instantly and leaving behind unimaginable grief.
The victims were identified as:
- Rushil Barri, 28
- Naveena Potabathula, 39
- Nageswararao Ponnada, 64
- Sitamahalakshmi Ponnada, 60
- Kruthik Potabathula, 10
- Nishidha Potabathula, 9
The lone survivor, Lokesh Potabathula, endured devastating injuries and was left paralyzed from the waist down. He also suffered the unimaginable loss of his wife, two children, cousin, and in-laws in the same crash.
Resecker’s passenger, 17-year-old Preston Glass, also sustained a traumatic brain injury, leaving him permanently impaired.
The Trial and Sentencing
During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence showing that Resecker had been driving recklessly under the influence of drugs. They emphasized the preventable nature of the crash and the ripple effect of loss that devastated two families and shook the community.
Defense attorneys argued that Resecker, who was 17 at the time of the crash, did not intend for the tragedy to occur and has expressed deep remorse for his actions. However, jurors agreed with prosecutors that his decision to drive impaired and recklessly warranted a lengthy prison sentence.
Following deliberation, the jury returned a guilty verdict and handed down a 65-year sentence, a decision many in the courtroom felt brought a sense of justice — though no sentence could undo the pain caused that day.
A Community Still Healing
The crash deeply impacted both Johnson County and the Georgia communities the victims called home. Vigils were held in both states to honor the lives lost. Friends, neighbors, and community members have described the victims as kind, hard-working, and deeply family-oriented.
The tragedy also reignited discussions about impaired driving among young people, prompting calls for stricter enforcement and greater education around the dangers of driving under the influence of any substance.
As one community member stated after the sentencing, “There are no winners in a case like this — only lessons that we must never forget.”