Christmas holidays turn tragic as six relatives of Andhra Pradesh MLA die in car crash in US

Amalapuram: In a tragic incident, six relatives of Mummidivaram MLA P Venkata Satish Kumar, were killed on the spot in a car accident in Texas in USA on Tuesday evening local time. All of them hailed from Amalapuram town in Andhra Pradesh's Konaseema district. The deceased were identified as P Nageshwar Rao, Seetha Mahalakshmi, Naveena, Kruthik, Nishitha and another person, who is also a relative of the family.

The mishap took place when the car carrying seven people collided head-on with a truck having two occupants on Highway 67, farm to market road in Cleburne city in Texas. The sole survivor in the car, Lokesh, has been airlifted to a hospital where he is undergoing treatment, but is said to be critical, the MLA said.

US media reported that the two occupants in the truck were also injured and have been hospitalised. The reports also quoted local police authorities as saying that the truck was at fault. "My uncle, aunt, their daughter, two grandchildren and another relative died in the accident when a 17-year-old American boy came in a truck and hit their car," Kumar told PTI on Wednesday. The accident occurred at 4pm on Tuesday, according to American time and six relatives died on the spot, he added.

The group had gone to one of their relatives’ house in Texas for celebrating Christmas. They travelled from Atlanta in Georgia state. They also visited a zoo park and were returning, when the tragedy struck, Kumar said. According to the MLA, the Telugu Association of North America (TANA) is extending assistance to repatriate the bodies of the six deceased people.

Kumar, who is also a resident of Amalapuram, said Nageshwar Rao was his father P Satya Rao's younger brother. Nageshwar Rao's daughter, who also died in the accident, was a resident of Atlanta. Kumar is a two-time MLA who is now a member of the ruling YSRCP in Andhra Pradesh.

(With PTI inputs)