13-year-old boy was driving truck that crashed into golf team's van, killing 9 in Texas, officials say

The National Transportation Safety Board investigating the Texas crash that killed nine people and left two others injured said Thursday that a 13-year-old boy was driving the pickup truck involved in the collision.

NTSB Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg said the crash occurred at high speed and that the front left tire of the pickup truck, which was a spare, was blown out before the impact.

In Texas, the minimum age for a teen to begin driving as part of classroom courses is 14, and they must be 15 to receive a provisional license. Department of Public Safety Sgt. Victor Taylor said a 13-year-old driving would be breaking the law.

The 13-year-old has not been identified. Also killed in the pickup truck was Henrich Siemens, 38, of Seminole, Texas. 

The crash happened Tuesday, when the pickup truck crossed the center line of a two-lane road, hitting a van that was carrying nine students from the men's and women's golf teams at the University of the Southwest, a private Christian school in New Mexico. They were returning home from a tournament in Midland, Texas.

The coach and six students died in the crash. Two others were critically injured. 

The news Thursday came as family and loved ones grieved the victims with a memorial at a New Mexico golf course where the students practiced. Flowers, golf balls and a sign with a cross were laid out Thursday. 

"These kids were great kids, and they were great, great community members," said Ben Kirkes, manager of Rockwind Community Links, where the students practiced in Hobbs, New Mexico. He helped set up the memorial. "They were polite and they were just a pleasure to be around."

Those who died were identified as: Head coach Tyler James, 26, of Hobbs; 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; and Tiago Sousa, 18, of Portugal.

THE CRASH:9 dead in crash involving University of the Southwest golf teams

University of the Southwest provost Ryan Tipton said Thursday that the two students who were critically injured remained at the hospital and were making steady progress.

"There is no indication for how long it's going to take, but they are both stable and recovering and every day making more and more progress," he said during a press conference.

A counselor and worship team are on campus to support grieving students, Tipton said.

As a Christian university, he added, "we also place our faith in something bigger than ourselves, and that's what helps us heal."

Here is what we know about those killed: 

Laci Stone

Before Laci Stone, 18, left for college, she had a request for her mother: She begged her to get a matching tattoo.

Now, her mother, Chelsi Stone, is glad she did.

"I’m so forever grateful that God gave me the courage to go through with it and always have this memory with her," Stone said in a Facebook post, alongside a photo of the two with tiny, red heart tattoos on their arms.

Stone remembered her daughter as "an absolute ray of sunshine" and said her family, including her two siblings, is devastated by the loss.

"We will never be the same after this and we just don’t understand how this happened to our amazing, beautiful, smart, joyful girl," she wrote.

The last public post on Laci Stone's Facebook was a happy birthday tribute to her mother last year. Stone, who majored in global business management and dreamed of being a business owner, grew up in Nocona, Texas, according to her USW Athletics profile. Her hidden talent was juggling, and her favorite competition ritual was doing the Lord's prayer.

Stone graduated from Nocona High School, where a softball game on Wednesday was canceled following the crash, the school said on Facebook. Instead, dozens of people gathered on the field to pray, and the city's water tower was lit with orange lights in memory of Stone.

Jackson Zinn

Jackson Zinn, 22, of Westminster, Colorado, was majoring in hospital management with a minor in sports management, according to his USW Athletics profile. He graduated from Ralston Valley High School in Colorado in 2018 before attending New Mexico Military Institute from 2018 to 2019.

His pastor, Rick Long, told KUSA-TV that Zinn was "loving and kind" and was close to his parents and two younger sisters.

He also was an accomplished student who earned a 4.0 GPA this year, Long said, adding that Zinn dreamed of one day becoming a professional golfer or to manage a large hotel chain.

"If somebody could put everything into 22 years, Jackson did," Long said.

Travis Garcia

Travis Garcia, 19, of Pleasanton, Texas, majored in criminal justice and wanted to be a professional golfer or work for the secret service, according to his USW Athletics profile. He graduated from Pleasanton High School in 2021 and is survived by his parents and one sibling, according to the profile.

Tab Dumont, athletic director for the Pleasanton Independent School District, told news station KSAT that the school district is "in shock and grieving." Garcia was voted most valuable player at his high school last year.

"Not only was Travis a phenomenal golfer and great kid, he comes from a great family," Dumont said.

Myles Dumont, manager of golf operations for the River Bend Golf Club just south of San Antonio, Texas, said Garcia quickly fell in love with golf.

"We were really proud of him, really happy to see him have an opportunity to go somewhere to play," Dumont said. "The sky was the limit for him."

Karisa Raines

Karisa Raines, 21, of Fort Stockton, Texas, was a biology major who hoped to become a forensic scientist, according to her USW Athletics profile. Her favorite pre-competition ritual was to pray and listen to music, and her favorite sports memory was her very first hole-in-one.

Her father, Gary Raines, mourned his "beautiful baby girl" on Facebook and posted a link to a verified GoFundMe page to support her family. 

"The Raines Family has suffered such tragedy in losing their daughter Karisa," according to the GoFundMe page. "If you find it in your heart, any amount will help this family with the expenses required during this difficult time. Karisa was such a beautiful and kind soul who will be deeply missed by everyone.

Mauricio Sanchez

Mauricio Sanchez, 19, of Mexico, was a freshman, according to his USW Athletics profile, which doesn't include any more details. 

Tiago Sousa

Tiago Sousa, 18, of Portugal, was a freshman, according to his USW Athletics profile, which doesn't include any more details.

Sousa graduated from the Escola Secundária de Loulé on Portugal's southern coast and had an "immense passion for golf," said Renata Afonso, the head of the school. Before coming to USW, Sousa played golf at the Club de Golf Pulgas Pandas in Aguacalientes, a city in north-central Mexico.

"He was a very dedicated student, very involved in social causes," Afonso said. "Any school would be delighted to have had him as a student."

Tyler James

Tyler James, 26, was in his first season as head coach of the USW men's and women's golf program, according to his university biography. James also helped coach golf teams at Brownwood High School in Texas, Howard Payne University and East Texas Baptist University. He played collegiate golf at Ottawa University in Kansas and Howard Payne University in Texas. 

"That was his dream job – to be a head coach –and he was living out his dream," said Ryan Erwin, vice president for student engagement and athletics at East Texas Baptist University in Marshall.

Troy Drummond, the head golf coach at Howard Payne University, said James played for three years at Howard Payne and helped coach the team his last year. "He had a passion for golf," Drummond said. "... He’d pretty much eat, sleep and drink golf."

A verified GoFundMe page and a donation page organized by the university are aiming to raise funds for the families of James and the students who were killed and injured in the crash. GoFundMe also organized a hub with verified pages in support of individual victims.

Henrich Siemens

There was no information immediately available about Henrich Siemens, 38, of Seminole, Texas, or the 13-year-old child.

Two students critically injured

An additional GoFundMe page was organized to help support the family of Dayton Price, 19, one of the students who was injured and airlifted to the hospital. Price, of Mississauga, Ontario, was in critical condition with third-degree burns to much of his body, according to the GoFundMe page.

The organizers of the page refer to Price as "our beloved friend and rising Canadian golf superstar" and hoped for a speedy recovery "so he can return to what he does best and represent Canada in the game he loves the most ... Golf."

The parents of Hayden Underhill, 20, who was also injured in the crash, were on a plane to Texas on Wednesday, his brother, Drew Underhill, said. Underhill is from Amherstview, Ontario

"Hockey was a big part of life for a while, but his true passion is golf,” Drew Underhill said of his brother. "From a small town in Ontario, he’s doing OK."

Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY; The Associated Press

Contact News Now Reporter Christine Fernando at cfernando@usatoday.com or follow her on Twitter at @christinetfern.