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A 13-year-old boy was truly to not blame for a driving a pickup truck that crashed into a van and killed seven golfers. As an alternative, the boy’s father who had methamphetamine in his system was behind the wheel, investigators have revealed.

DNA testing confirmed that Henrich Siemens, 38, was driving on the time of the March 15 crash in rural West Texas, the Nationwide Transportation Security Board (NTSB) mentioned in a preliminary report launched on Thursday. Toxicology assessments confirmed meth in Siemens’ blood.

NTSB officers two days after the crash had mentioned the preliminary findings steered the boy, Ricky Siemens, was driving the truck that hit the van carrying the College of the Southwest’s males’s and girls’s golf groups and their coach. Ricky, Henrich, six golfers and their coach all died.

‘This was a really tough investigation to find out a few of the information primarily based on the catastrophic nature of the injury and the post-crash hearth,’ mentioned Robert Molloy, the NTSB’s director of freeway security.

Officers are nonetheless analyzing the toxicology report, mentioned Molloy, including that meth can have an effect on a driver’s efficiency nevertheless it has not been decided whether or not it contributed to the crash.

Days after the crash in Andrews County, the NTSB mentioned the truck’s entrance left tire had blown up previous to the affect. However on Thursday, officers mentioned no proof has been discovered that the tire misplaced strain or failed.

Investigators proceed working to find out the possible reason for the collision and a ultimate report will not be anticipated till subsequent yr, he mentioned.

The victims within the van had been recognized as Mauricio Sanchez, 19, of Mexico; Travis Garcia, 19, of Pleasanton, Texas; Jackson Zinn, 22, of Westminster, Colorado; Karisa Raines, 21, of Fort Stockton, Texas; Laci Stone, 18, of Nocona, Texas; Tiago Sousa, 18, of Portugal; and their coach Tyler James, 26, of Hobb, New Mexico.

Two different college students within the van had been severely injured.

After the tragedy, Ricky’s mom and Heinrich’s spouse, Agatha ‘Aggie’ Siemens, posted a photo of her son on Facebook with the caption, ‘I miss you a lot’. She additionally shared photos of her husband hugging her from behind.

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