NTSB: Dad, not boy, was driving truck that hit golfers' van
Investigators say a Texas man, not his 13-year-old son, was driving the pickup truck that crossed into the oncoming lane and struck a van carrying New Mexico college golfers, killing nine people, and he had methamphetamine in his system
NTSB: Dad, not boy, was driving truck that hit golfers' van
Show all 2Your support helps us to tell the story
As your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.
Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn't have the resources to challenge those in power.
Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November election
Andrew Feinberg
White House Correspondent
A Texas man, not his 13-year-old son, was driving the pickup truck that crossed into the oncoming lane and struck a van carrying New Mexico college golfers, killing nine people, and he had methamphetamine in his system, investigators said Thursday.
The National Transportation Safety Board said two days after the March 15 collision that its preliminary findings suggested that the 13-year-old was driving the pickup that struck the van carrying University of the Southwest students and coaches back to New Mexico from a golf tournament. But the NTSB said Thursday that DNA testing confirmed that the father, 38-year-old Henrich Siemens, was driving and that toxicological testing showed the presence of methanphetamine in the Siemens' blood.
Siemens and his son died in the crash along with six members of the men's and women's golf teams and their coach.
The collision happened in Andrews County, which is about 30 miles (50 kilometers) east of Texas' border with New Mexico. Although it's a rural area, the roads there can often be busy with traffic related to agriculture and oil and gas development.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.