A deadly crash that claimed the life of 13 elderly church members is currently under investigation by Austin law enforcement officials. Investigators have reported that at this time they are investigating the driver of the vehicle that caused the deadly crash to see if he was driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Church bus collides with Dodge pickup
The victims, who belonged to the First Baptist Church of New Braunfels were among 14 people that were returning from a three-day church retreat in Leakey, Texas. Reportedly, the fatal accident occurs when the bus in which the group was traveling crashed into a pickup truck that had veered across the median into the path of oncoming traffic.
According to a post on the church Facebook’s page, the driver was also killed in the ill-fated incident. However, there is a lone survivor of the group, who was admitted to a nearby hospital and reported to be stable but remains in critical condition. The church further went on to thank everyone for their continuous support and outpouring of love. Additionally, on its social media page, the church also asked the public to continue praying for its members, as they grieve for those whose lives were lost in the fatal accident.
Accident left 13 dead and two injured
Law officials on the scene reported that the driver of the pickup truck survived the crash and was airlifted to a nearby San Antonio hospital.
Authorities have also disclosed to NBC News that none of the victims have been identified pending notification of the next of kin. The accident that happens near the Concan’s Garner State Park at about 12:23 p.m. involves only the pickup truck, which was in the northbound lane and the church bus that was in the southbound lane of the highway.
Norm Hills the spokesperson for the church told NBC News that currently, they do not have much information about the incident, however, the church family is eagerly awaiting an update from the Department of Public Safety.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Governor Gregg Abbott have expressed their condolences on Twitter. The horrific incident is under investigation by the local police department and is also being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board.
