‘More than a brother;’ Best friend of man who was killed in Texas crash speaks out

DALLAS-FORT WORTH, Texas — Friends and family of the victims of a crash in Texas that killed six people told Channel 2 Action News they are still processing the tragedy.

Ayyappala Bandaru was one of the best friends of 28-year-old Rushil Barri, a man who died in the crash the day after Christmas.

“We were with all of them since Saturday,” Bandaru told WSB Tonight’s Michael Doudna. “We tried to call everyone in the car: Rushil, Lokesh, and his wife.”

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Deputies said the six people killed were traveling in a Honda Odyssey on U.S. 67 North on Tuesday when a Chevrolet Silverado tried to pass another car in a no-passing zone. The truck hit the Odyssey head-on.

The dead included six people in the Odyssey: two women, ages 36 and 60; two men, ages 28 and 64; and two children, a 10-year-old boy and a 9-year-old girl. The 28-year-old man who was the driver was from Irving, Texas.

Channel 2 Action News spoke to family members in India who identified the victims in the Odyssey, one of them being Barri.

Bandaru said it was hard to believe what happened.

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“We were just like what just happened, did this thing really happen?” said Bandaru.

The driver and passenger of the truck, 17-year-old Luke Resecker, and 17-year-old Preston Glass were also taken to the hospital in critical condition.

Bandaru said Barri just wanted to show his family around Dallas.

“His family just came from Atlanta, so he just wanted to show them Dallas,” said Bandaru. “The final word I told him was ‘drive safe.’ And he did it. It was not his mistake.”

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Now Bandaru is wrapping his head around the tragedy.

“I miss him like anything, man, more than a brother, more than a brother. Day before yesterday he was with me on this bed, and now he’s nowhere in my life,” said Bandaru.

Authorities have yet to positively identify the victims.

The crash remains under investigation.

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