Washington:
A 22-year-old student from Andhra Pradesh was killed and five others were injured in a major car accident in West Virginia in United States.
Praneetha Devi Kasani was killed and five others were injured when she along with her five friends were driving back home to Ohio from West Virginia on Thursday morning.
According to preliminary reports, Puneeth Reddy Amarella, 22, who was driving lost control of his car and crashed it into another vehicle in the left lane. Praneetha got ejected from the car and died on the spot.
All other passengers injured in the accident are out of danger and will be discharged from hospital in a day or two.
Praneetha came to the US in December 2009 after completing her B Tech from Hyderabad and enrolled in MS Electrical Engineering at Wright State University, Ohio.
She is survived by one sister and parents who live in Hyderabad.
Praneetha's father Ramarao Kasani works as a Circle Inspector of Police in Hyderabad, the Telugu Association of North America (TANA) said in a statement.
Students injured in the accident are: Sashi Venkata Kondury, 22, Harika Vangeti, 22, Pavan Kumar Ragavajhala, 23, are from Wright State Ohio University and Puneeth Reddy Amarella, and Santosh Maddali are from University of Northern Virginia.
Parents and relatives of Praneetha are in great shock after hearing this news.
"We are in the process of contacting Indian Consulate officials, Funeral Home, obtaining needed certificates to send the deceased to Hyderabad the earliest possible time. We hope to complete all formalities and send the body to Hyderabad by next Tuesday," Praneetha's father Rama Rao Kasani said.
Jayaram Komati, TANA president and all other Governing Board members of TANA offered their condolences to Kasani family and pray for the speedy recovery of all other injured.