2 children among 6 fatalities in ‘devastating’ Johnson County crash near Cleburne: officials

Harriet Ramos
·2 min read
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Six people, including two children, were killed and three injured Tuesday night in a “multiple fatality accident” in Johnson County, authorities said.

Cleburne Assistant Fire Chief Keith Scarbrough told the Star-Telegram that a minivan with Georgia license plates and a pickup were involved in the crash. Six out of the seven minivan passengers died, according to Scarbrough.

The preliminary investigation indicates that a Chevrolet Silverado traveling south on U.S. 67 around 4 p.m. entered the northbound lane in a no passing zone and hit a Honda Odyssey head on, the Texas Department of Public Safety said Wednesday morning in a press release.

The two occupants of the Silverado, both 17-year-old males, and the 28-year-old surviving male passenger of the Odyssey were airlifted to Fort Worth hospitals, according to the release.

The Odyssey’s driver, identified as 28-year-old Rushil Barri of Irving, died. The five minivan passengers who also died included a 9-year-old boy, a 10-year-old boy, a 36-year-old woman, a 60-year-old woman and a 64-year-old man, according to the release. Four of the six who died were not wearing seatbelts.

All of the minivan passengers were from Alpharetta, Georgia. The Georgia State Police is working with the Texas Department of Public Safety to locate the next of kin, the release said.

The highway was closed for several hours Tuesday night between County Roads 1234 and 1120 due to the deadly crash, according to William Lockridge, Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson.

The investigation is ongoing, and no further information is available right now, Lockridge said.

The crash site is roughly 10 miles southwest of Cleburne.

The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office posted about the crash on social media and asked drivers to avoid the area while officers worked to clear the accident..

“Please say a prayer for the families of the deceased and injured. Also, please pray for our Deputies, Troopers and all other first responders working this accident. It’s a devastating scene and very emotional for all involved,” the post said.

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