A tragic multi-vehicle accident on U.S. Route 75 in Anna, Texas, claimed the lives of four Indian nationals, including two from Hyderabad, on Friday afternoon. The collision occurred just past White Street at approximately 3:30 p.m., according to the Collin County Sheriff’s Office. The victims have been identified as Aryan Raghunath Orampati, 27, from Hyderabad, his friend Farooq Shaik, 30, Lokesh Palacharla, 28, also from Hyderabad, and Darshini Vasudevan, 25, from Tamil Nadu.
The four individuals were traveling together after connecting through a carpooling app. Aryan Raghunath Orampati, who resided in Bentonville, was returning home after visiting his cousin in Dallas. Lokesh Palacharla was en route to Bentonville to visit his wife. Darshini Vasudevan, a Master’s degree graduate from the University of Texas at Arlington, was traveling to see her uncle in Bentonville. The accident involved approximately five vehicles and was triggered when a truck, reportedly traveling at high speed, failed to slow down and rear-ended the SUV carrying the victims. Witnesses reported significant traffic congestion on the highway, causing vehicles to come to a standstill.
The impact caused the SUV to burst into flames, trapping all four occupants inside. Due to the severity of the fire, the bodies were charred beyond recognition. Authorities are using DNA fingerprinting, relying on teeth and bone fragments, to identify the victims. The process has been delayed by the long holiday weekend in the U.S. Aryan’s father, Subhash Chandra Reddy, owner of Max Agri Genetic Private Limited in Kukatpally, Hyderabad, said his family had been in the U.S. in May 2024 for Aryan’s convocation at the University of Texas Dallas. “After convocation, Aryan was asked to return to India, but he wanted to work in the U.S. for two more years,” said a family member.
Darshini Vasudevan’s parents, who were in regular contact with her before the crash, have appealed to India’s Union External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar for assistance. “We are deeply worried and have not known our daughter’s status for almost a day,” her father said. The Anna Police and fire departments responded to the scene, diverting traffic to an access road as the highway remains closed.