ACCIDENT: Six killed in car crash in Pennsylvania

Six Indian citizens heading to Niagara Falls from Troy, Michigan were killed in a car crash Saturday.  The crash took place on Interstate 90, in Pennsylvania, and claimed 4 co-workers and 2 of their wives. From the Detroit Free Press:

The driver, Kaushik Deb, 26, of Troy, died on impact.

James identified the passengers killed as Manoj Jharia, 35; Mili Jharia, 28; Nitin Agrwal, 29; Swati Singhal, 25, and Subham Choudhary, 24. The Jharias, Agrwal and Singhal were from Jabalpur, Choudhary from Indore and Deb was from Calcutta, but they all appeared to live in communities throughout Oakland County.

Deb, Choudhary, Manoj Jharia and Agrwal were Syntel software writers.

The Jharias were married, as were Agrwal and Singhal, James said. Neither couple had children.

The only survivor, Nitin Gupta, 28, was in the front passenger seat, police said. He was treated and released from a hospital.

According to the Erie Times-News, the exact cause of the crash is unknown, but the minivan they were in crossed the median, rolled and was hit by a vehicle coming from the opposite direction. All six bodies will be sent back to India.

The families of all the victims in India have been notified, Jonathan James, a spokesman for Syntel Inc., said Sunday.

The four male victims had been working as computer programmers at Syntel, a global IT outsourcing company in Troy, Mich., for periods ranging from several months to several years, James said. He said the wives didn't work for Syntel, which has more than 12,000 employees worldwide.

"Our sympathies are extended to the families of the victims on this very sad day," he said. "Our primary concern is ensuring that the families get all of the care and support they need during this very difficult time.

"This is a sad day indeed for the entire Syntel family,"James said."These talented and compassionate individuals will be missed tremendously, but their spirit will live on in the accomplishments they have made both professionally and personally."

Toxicology tests will be conducted to help determine how the crash happened. More from the Detroit Free Press:

 

"The Bharatiya Temple community is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of" six of its devotees, said Rajinder Kapur, president of the Troy temple. "They were respected members of our community, and our congregation mourns their loss and prays for their families."

 

And further down, information on where to send donations. It will likely cost tens of thousands of dollars to ship the bodies to India.

Donations can be sent to the Syntel Accident Fund, 525 E. Big Beaver Road, Suite 300, Troy 48032. Contact AMBER HUNT at 586-469-4682 or alhunt@freepress.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Please post news updates and your comments below.   

 

 

 

Comments

[anantha]

An article from clickondetroit.com mentions that donations for the families of those killed in the crash may be sent to:

Syntel Accident Fund,
525 E. Big Beaver Road, Suite 300,
Troy, MI 48032.

[Najma Sultana]

Extremely tragic.Our hearts reach out to the families and survivors. May the dead rest in peace.
Najma Sultana