A car crash in Central Texas this week killed five, including an Indian-origin family of three, leaving behind a Leander teenager all alone.
The heart-rending tragedy took place at 5:45 am (local time) on Wednesday, August 14, six miles north of US 281 in Lampasas County, Austin American-Statesman reported. A Department of Public Safety trooper said Friday that all five victims who lost their lives in the distressing accident have been identified.
The people killed in the fiery wreck included 45-year-old Arvind Mani, his 40-year-old wife Pradeepa Arvind and their 17-year-old daughter Andril Arvind. According to a DPS report, the family of three was from Leander, a city in Texas. The Arvind family is survived by their sole immediate member, 14-year-old Adiryan, who was not in the car with them at the time of the accident.
A GoFundMe fundraiser has presumably been set up by a friend of the family to support the teenage boy in these trying times.
The link, “Support for Adiryan Arvind: A Tragic Loss and a Young Life to Rebuild,” details “Arvind (45) and Pradeepa (42) were a wonderful couple blessed with two children, Andril (17) and Adiryan (14).”
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Rajaraman Venkatachalam, the fundraiser organiser, also mentions that the family’s life “was filled with joy”, especially since the Arvinds recently celebrated their daughter’s admission to The University of Texas at Dallas to study Computer Science. She had graduated from Rouse High School.
“The Rouse High School family is deeply saddened to share the loss of one of our very own Raiders from the Class of 2024, Andril Arvind,” said a letter from the school’s principal. “Andril and her parents were involved in an automobile accident this morning, and we are sad to share there were no survivors. This news has brought great sorrow to our campus and has impacted many in our community. Our thoughts and prayers are with Andril’s family and friends.”
“August 14th, 2024, was supposed to be a day of excitement and new beginnings as they prepared for Andril’s move-in day at the university,” the family friend continued.
The GoFundMe profile confirms that Arvind, Pradeepa and Andril lost their lives while on their way to the university campus.
“Adiryan who just started 9th grade today, was unable to join them on the trip, and now he is left without his family. This young boy, with so many dreams and aspirations, needs our help for funeral, legal, and ongoing care, including educational expenses. This will help him to navigate the difficult road ahead along with his uncle’s family living in Austin,” the page reads ahead.
DPS trooper Bryan Washko said Mani and his wife had left their son behind because he started school that day.
The crash also killed two other people from Copperas Cove – 31-year-old Jacinto Gudino Duran and 23-year-old Yosilu Gasman Martinez.
Duran was reportedly driving south on US 281 in a 2004 Cadillac CTS when his right rear tyre blew out. With Martinez as his passenger, Duran lost control. According to CBS Austin, the Cadillac then veered into oncoming traffic and collided with a northbound 2024 Kia Telluride at milepost 406. Witnesses claimed Duran’s vehicle was speeding ahead before the collision. Pictures of the scene also revealed both cars incurring extensive damage in the aftermath of the two-car crash.
The Arvind family was aboard the Kia in question.
The DPS trooper said, “There was no chance of survival.” He also claimed the collision that happened six miles north of Lampasas was “one of the worst crashes” he has seen in 26 years “because of the magnitude of the damage and amount of people lost.”
While the Cadillac is said to have been possibly driving at 100 mph, per a witness driving 80 mph, the Kia was travelling at about 65 to 70 mph, Washko said. He also maintained that the crash was “like driving into a concrete wall at 170 mph.
Upon the cars’ collision, the Kia vehicle hit the Cadillac’s passenger side and tore it in half. The Arvind family car also caught fire.
