Andhra Couple Visit US to Meet Daughter, Grandkids, But All Die In Car Crash
Those killed were visiting the home of another relative and had gone to the local zoo in the morning. On the way back home, their vehicle was hit by a pickup truck carrying two young people. Initial reports suggest the pickup was driving the wrong way.
In a tragic road accident in the US state of Texas, six members of an Indian family, including two children, lost their lives. The accident occurred when the minivan they were traveling in collided head-on with a pickup truck on Tuesday. One person from the minivan sustained injuries and is in critical condition.
The NRI family hailed from Andhra Pradesh's Amalapuram and were relatives of a lawmaker from the state's ruling YSR Congress Party. The incident occurred in Johnson County, near Fort Worth on December 26, the day after Christmas, turning a time of joy into one of tragedy.
What happened?
Those killed were visiting the home of another relative and had gone to the local zoo in the morning. On the way back home, their vehicle was hit by a pickup truck carrying two young people. Initial reports suggest the pickup was driving the wrong way.
43-year-old Lokesh Potabathula is the only person from the minivan who survived the crash but remains in critical condition. The two driving the pickup are also in hospital. The injured were airlifted to medical facilities, US media reported.
"My uncle spent Christmas visiting a relative's home. On December 26, they went to the zoo in the morning and left at 4 pm (local time). Their car was struck by a truck carrying two young people who were traveling the wrong way," the MLA Ponnada Venkata Satish Kumar said.
"The truck was found to be at fault by the local police." Mr Kumar, the MLA from Andhra Pradesh's Mummidivaram seat, also said, "We are attempting to have the bodies returned... since Lokesh is still receiving treatment, his agreement is required for two of them, who are American citizens by birth."
All 6 deceased identified
Potabathula¡¯s wife, 36-year-old Naveena Potabathula; the couple¡¯s children, 9-year-old Nishidha Potabathula and 10-year-old Krithik Potabathula; and Naveena Potabathula¡¯s parents, 60-year-old Sitamahalakshmi Ponnada and 64-year-old Nageswararao Ponnada died in the crash.
28-year-old Rushil Barri, cousin of Lokesh Potabathula, was driving the minivan. He also is among the deceased victims. The elderly were visiting their daughter Naveena and grandkids Karthik and Nishidha from India, the Consulate General (CG) of India in Houston said.
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