One fact about the recent tragic golf team crash makes it even more perplexing.
The driver of the pickup truck that crashed into a van carrying members of the University of the Southwest men’s and women’s golf teams was just 13 years old, a National Transportation Safety Board official revealed Thursday. The fiery crash, which took place Tuesday in Andrews County, Texas, killed nine people, including the 13-year-old boy driving the truck, a 38-year-old Texas man who was riding with him, plus six players from the university’s golf teams and one coach.
Under Texas law, drivers can begin taking classes for a learner’s permit at age 14. Young drivers reportedly can receive a provisional license allowing them to drive with an instructor or a licensed adult at age 15. Victor Taylor of the Department of Public Safety said a 13-year-old driving would be unlawful, according to The Associated Press.
NTSB vice chairman Bruce Landsberg added speed factored into the crash.
“This was clearly a high-speed collision,” Landsberg said, per the AP.
The families of the victims and their communities and the University of the Southwest all will need time to make sense of this horrible event.
