HYDERABAD: A tragic multi-vehicle crash on US route 75 in Anna, Texas, feared to have claimed the lives of four Indian nationals, including two from Hyderabad, on Friday afternoon. The collision occurred just past White Street at around 3:30pm on Friday , according to the Collin County Sheriff’s Office.
They have been identified as Aryan Raghunath Orampati from Hyderabad, his friend Farooq Shaik, Lokesh Palacharla, also a Telugu, and Darshini Vasudevan from Tamil Nadu.
The four had connected through a carpooling app for their journey to Bentonville, when the accident occurred.
Aryan Raghunath Orampati, who resided in Bentonville, was returning home after visiting his cousin in Dallas. Lokesh Palacharla was traveling to Bentonville to visit his wife. Darshini Vasudevan, a Master’s degree graduate from the University of Texas at Arlington, was on her way to visit her uncle in Bentonville. The group had tied up their travel plans using a carpooling app, which later helped authorities identify the victims.
Aryan’s father, Subhash Chandra Reddy, owns Max Agri Genetic Private Limited in Kukatpally, Hyderabad. The family originally hails from Rayachoti but has settled in Nizampet, Hyderabad. Aryan completed his engineering degree at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeethamnin Coimbatore. “parents were in the US in May 2024 for his convocation at University of Texas Dallas. After convocation Aryan was asked to come back to India, but he told his parents that he wanted to work in the United States for two more years and then return. Fate has struck like this,” said a family member of Subhash.
Farooq also lives in Bentonville where as Darshini lives in Frisco, Texas.
The collision, which involved approximately five vehicles, was triggered when a truck, reportedly traveling at high speed, failed to slow down and rear-ended the SUV the victims were traveling in. Witnesses reported that traffic had slowed significantly on the highway, causing vehicles to come to a standstill.
The impact was so severe that the SUV burst into flames, leaving all four occupants trapped inside and unable to escape. Due to the intensity of the fire, the bodies were charred beyond recognition, making identification challenging.
Authorities are relying on DNA fingerprinting, using teeth and bone remnants, to confirm the identities of the victims. “DNA fingerprinting will be done to identify the bodies, and the samples will be matched with the parents,” said local authorities. The delay in identification has been exacerbated by the long holiday weekend in the US, further prolonging the agony for the families involved.
Darshini Vasudevan’s parents, who had been in regular contact with her until shortly before the crash, are now appealing for assistance from India’s Union external affairs minister, S Jaishankar. “We parents are really worried, and it’s almost data since we’ve known the status of our daughter,” stated her father in a heartfelt appeal. The Anna Police and fire departments responded to the scene, diverting traffic to the access road as the highway remains shut down.
They have been identified as Aryan Raghunath Orampati from Hyderabad, his friend Farooq Shaik, Lokesh Palacharla, also a Telugu, and Darshini Vasudevan from Tamil Nadu.
The four had connected through a carpooling app for their journey to Bentonville, when the accident occurred.
Aryan Raghunath Orampati, who resided in Bentonville, was returning home after visiting his cousin in Dallas. Lokesh Palacharla was traveling to Bentonville to visit his wife. Darshini Vasudevan, a Master’s degree graduate from the University of Texas at Arlington, was on her way to visit her uncle in Bentonville. The group had tied up their travel plans using a carpooling app, which later helped authorities identify the victims.
Aryan’s father, Subhash Chandra Reddy, owns Max Agri Genetic Private Limited in Kukatpally, Hyderabad. The family originally hails from Rayachoti but has settled in Nizampet, Hyderabad. Aryan completed his engineering degree at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeethamnin Coimbatore. “parents were in the US in May 2024 for his convocation at University of Texas Dallas. After convocation Aryan was asked to come back to India, but he told his parents that he wanted to work in the United States for two more years and then return. Fate has struck like this,” said a family member of Subhash.
Farooq also lives in Bentonville where as Darshini lives in Frisco, Texas.
The collision, which involved approximately five vehicles, was triggered when a truck, reportedly traveling at high speed, failed to slow down and rear-ended the SUV the victims were traveling in. Witnesses reported that traffic had slowed significantly on the highway, causing vehicles to come to a standstill.
The impact was so severe that the SUV burst into flames, leaving all four occupants trapped inside and unable to escape. Due to the intensity of the fire, the bodies were charred beyond recognition, making identification challenging.
Authorities are relying on DNA fingerprinting, using teeth and bone remnants, to confirm the identities of the victims. “DNA fingerprinting will be done to identify the bodies, and the samples will be matched with the parents,” said local authorities. The delay in identification has been exacerbated by the long holiday weekend in the US, further prolonging the agony for the families involved.
Darshini Vasudevan’s parents, who had been in regular contact with her until shortly before the crash, are now appealing for assistance from India’s Union external affairs minister, S Jaishankar. “We parents are really worried, and it’s almost data since we’ve known the status of our daughter,” stated her father in a heartfelt appeal. The Anna Police and fire departments responded to the scene, diverting traffic to the access road as the highway remains shut down.
