Hyderabad Woman Dies in Tragic Road Accident in Chicago

In a tragic incident, a 23-year-old woman from Hyderabad lost her life in a fatal road accident in Chicago, USA.

The victim, identified as Srija Varma, was the daughter of Srinu Rao from Balaji Nagar in the Gandi Maisamma area of Dundigal, Medchal-Malkajgiri district. Srija had moved to the US to pursue higher studies and had been living in Chicago when the tragedy occurred.

According to reports, the accident took place late on Monday (August 11) night when Srija was walking to a nearby restaurant for dinner. A speeding truck struck her, causing multiple severe injuries. She reportedly died on the spot.

Srija’s father, Srinu Rao, had reportedly recently moved his family to Hyderabad and has been working as a driver to support them. Her sister had also left for the US just 20 days ago to pursue a master’s degree. The bereaved family has sought assistance from Telugu associations in the US to facilitate the repatriation of Srija’s mortal remains to India at the earliest.

Her death adds to a worrying trend of fatal accidents involving Indians in the US.  The incidents have sparked concerns within the Indian diaspora about pedestrian safety and reckless driving on US roads.

Recently, four Indian-origin senior citizens from New York were discovered dead following a car accident in West Virginia. The victims—Dr. Kishore Divan (89), Asha Divan (85), Shailesh Divan (86), and Gita Divan (84)—had gone missing during a road trip to a spiritual retreat and were last seen at a Burger King in Pennsylvania on July 29. Authorities found their vehicle off a steep embankment along Big Wheeling Creek Road on August 2, shortly after midnight. First responders spent over five hours at the scene. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.