6 killed and 3 hospitalized following head-on crash on Texas highway: “a devastating scene”

“Please say a prayer for the families of the deceased and injured,” the sheriff’s office said.

Six people were killed and three others injured Tuesday after a deadly collision on U.S. Highway 67 in Texas, authorities said.

The Johnson County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post that it received a 911 call regarding a “head-on collision” that caused “multiple injuries and road blockages.” After authorities arrived on scene, they reported six deaths and emergency medical services used three planes to “transport the patients to the hospital.”

Following the crash, officers closed U.S. Highway 67 “in both directions for several hours” while they examined the crime scene, according to the sheriff's office report. Authorities, the medical examiner and the Texas Department of Transportation were all on scene to determine what happened.

The Sheriff's Office issued a social media alert warning people to “avoid” Highway 67 due to a “fatal crash” shortly after it happened around 5:30 p.m. local time.

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“Please say a prayer for the families of those who died and were injured,” the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

“Please also pray for our deputies, troopers and all other first responders working this accident,” the department added. “This is a devastating and very emotional scene for everyone involved.”

The Texas Department of Public Safety and the Johnson County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from PEOPLE.

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The Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed to NBC affiliate KXAS-TV that the head-on collision involved two cars and that there were six deaths and three people injured at the scene. All three people were airlifted to John Peter Smith Hospital and Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital, according to the outlet.

A Texas DPS spokesperson said The Dallas Morning News that children were likely involved in the crash, but it was unclear if they were among those killed. According to the newspaper, the six people were in the same car. Authorities have not yet identified the people who died in the accident.

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Video captured by KXAS-TV showed two cars, a white pickup truck and a gray minivan, both side by side on the side of the road, with the front end and windshield of both cars heavily damaged.

Texas DPS said it was investigating the crash. Authorities have not given any additional information about how the accident might have happened.

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