13-year-old’s dad was actually the driver in crash that killed 9 in Texas, report says

The initial investigation into a deadly crash in Texas found that a 13-year-old boy was driving a pickup truck that collided head-on with a college golf team’s van, killing nine.

But DNA testing has since confirmed a 38-year-old man was actually the driver of the pickup truck on March 15, according to updated information shared by the National Transportation Safety Board on July 14.

The driver was the father of the teen passenger, according to media reports, including KXAS.

Authorities say the pickup truck crossed into the opposite lane of Farm Road 1788, east of Andrews in West Texas, when it collided into a University of the Southwest golf team’s van.

A 26-year-old coach and eight team members were returning to New Mexico from a tournament in Midland when they were struck in the fiery crash.

The 38-year-old dad and his son in the pickup, the coach and six college students were killed, according to the NTSB. The other two students were “seriously injured.”

While initial reports from the NTSB said the teen was driving, DNA results provided by the Texas Department of Public Safety found otherwise.

A post-crash toxicological test completed by the NTSB also found methamphetamine in the driver’s blood, officials said.

The incident is still under investigation, officials said, and information is “subject to change.” The department has not ruled a “probable cause” of the deadly crash.

This story was originally published July 14, 2022 at 2:19 PM with the headline "13-year-old’s dad was actually the driver in crash that killed 9 in Texas, report says."