Ricky Siemens, the 13-year-old boy who was behind the wheels of the car when it collided with another vehicle had burned his house to ashes three months ago. The high-speed collision left nine dead including the teen from Texas.
Ricky was driving his father's 2007 Dodge 2500 when it collided head on with a Ford Transit Van resulting in a fiery explosion. The dead included Siemens, his father Heinrich Siemens, The University of the Southwest golfers Mauricio Sanchez, Travis Garcia, Jackson Zinn, Karisa Raines, Laci Stone, Tiago Sousa, and their coach Tyler James.
Teen Burnt His House While Cooking Eggs
Reportedly, the spare tire of the vehicle that Ricky was driving blew following which the high-speed car wobbled into the opposite side of the two-lane highway in Texas. Calling it a case of high-speed collision, NTSB vice chairman Bruce Landsberg said that though it wasn't clear how fast the two vehicles were traveling, "this was clearly a high-speed collision."
Speaking to Daily Mail, a friend of Siemens' family said that the teen was involved in a fire which left their dog dead and family homeless. "Just before Christmas, their house burned down ... The 13-year-old made some eggs and forgot about it. I couldn't imagine going through all that and then to have this happen. It's just so sad," Aganetha said.
Claiming that the homeless family started a fund raiser, which failed to raise the $30,000 sought by the Siemens, Aganetha said that their home burned down with all of their personal belongings inside. "Some of the children ran out of the house without shoes."
Teen's Father Had a Violent Criminal Past
Ricky's father Heinrich Siemens was involved in a series of crimes since 2004 and was facing felony domestic aggravated assault charges and misdemeanor theft charges.
According to the records obtained by the outlet, Siemens charges included a DUI, theft, driving on a suspended license, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and failure to stop and render aid, as well as threatening bodily injury against a family member, his wife Agatha Siemens.
Court records revealed that Siemens held "scissors against the neck of" his wife, "and did then and there use or exhibit a deadly weapon, namely scissors, which in the manner of their use and intended use were capable of causing death or serious bodily injury, during the commission of the assault."
Siemens, "intentionally, and knowingly, and recklessly caused bodily injury to" the victim, "by burning [her] with a soldering torch," the court records stated.
