(Image source from: telanganatoday.com)

Phoenix:
In a very unfortunate car crash at North Phoenix, an Indian family lost two of its members. Father and daughter originally from Andhra Pradesh in India, who were in the US for past 10 years died on the spot. Police Department identified the two as Ramesh B. Bolla (54) and Chaitanya Bolla (21) who died on the spot near 35th Avenue and Bell road around 7 pm on Sunday evening in North Phoenix.

The Bollas were pulling out of a private driveway after grocery pickup, in an attempt to turn left for heading towards 35th Ave when a southbound truck driven by a 21 year old collided with them. The person driving the truck is believed to be impaired and crash was extremely fatal. Both father and daughter were pronounced dead at the scene.

Detective Marianne Ramirez, after an on-scene investigation conducted on Monday at Paradise Lane until bell Road, stated, “Investigators processed the suspect for impairment. Impairment and speed may have been a factor in this collision”

The identity of the 21 year old suspect is yet not released but he is believed to be under the influence of drugs on the fatal night. This incident prompted road closure Sunday night.

Ramesh Bolla came to the US 10 years ago and was in Arizona for the past 4 years, while Chaitanya graduated from Westview High School and was in her final semester of the NYU Tandon School of Engineering. Ramesh’s wife Padmaja Bolla is a homemaker from Andhra Pradesh India.

Venkat Kommineni, President of the Arizona Telugu Association expressed his deep and heartfelt condolences on this unfortunate incident. He said, “His (Ramesh’s) wife is a homemaker and she is not working, the daughter (Chaitanya) is the only daughter they have. She lost everything from the financial point of view and from the family point of view. It is a very tragic and very emotional thing."

Kommineni stated that the family was closely tied with their friends and family back in India despite being in the US from past decade. He also stated, "Since Sunday night my phone has been ringing constantly. We are far away from our homeland, but even when we are here we are all together. Everybody is supporting them, not only the Indian people but the local people also."

This tragic accident on the day of Pongal took away the hopes and happiness from this family. Ramesh’s wife and Chaithanya’s mother is left alone with Ramesh mother, bearing the loss of her husband and daughter. As their immediately family is back in India, they are moving the bodies to India for final rites.

The entire Indian community in Arizona is in a state of shock and both Indians and locals are helping the family in going back to India. A gofundme page has been set up by Thirumala Rao Singamaneni, to help the grieving family in this critical time, for financial support in taking the bodies to India. Around $119908 is already raised in a day and more people are adding to the fundraiser.

More news to come in as investigation progresses.

By Minu Manisha