Boy, 13, drove truck that struck van and killed 9, including 6 from University of Southwest golf team, in Texas

A 13-year-old boy was driving the pickup truck that struck a van and killed nine people, including six college students and a their golf coach, in a fiery collision on Tuesday.

The pickup truck had crossed into the opposite lane on a darkened, two-lane West Texas highway before colliding head-on with a University of Southwest van, National Transportation Safety Board Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg said on Thursday.

It’s unclear how fast the two vehicles were traveling, but according to Landsberg it was ‘clearly a high speed collision.’

The left front tire of the truck was a spare, which blew and sent the truck into the northbound lane where it collided head-on with the van, officials said.

In Texas, children must be 14-years-old to start taking courses for a learner’s permit, and 15 to receive the provisional license needed to drive with an instructor or licensed adult in the vehicle.

The 13-year-old driver in the crash would be breaking the law, authorities said.

Passengers in the van were members of University of Southwest’s men’s and women’s golf teams and their coach, who were traveling for a tournament. Six students, as well as their 26-year-old coach, died in the fiery crash.

The Texas Department of Public Safety identified the deceased as: Golf coach Tyler James, 26, of Hobbs, New Mexico; and players 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.

Two Canadian students on the team, Dayton Price, 19 and Hayden Underhill, 20, were hospitalized in critical condition following the collision.

Also killed in the crash were Henrich Siemens, 38, of Seminole County, Texas, and an unidentified 13-year-old boy, who authorities say was the one driving the 2007 Dodge 2500 pickup truck. It’s unclear who was driving the university’s van.

The Texas Department of Public Safety made determined that the child was driving based on the identification of the remains in the driver seat following a post crash fire.

The crash is being investigated by the Texas Highway Patrol with assistance from the National Transportation Safety Board.

This is a breaking news story, check back for updates…