London: A tragic car accident in Leicestershire has involved five Indian students from Andhra Pradesh, leaving one dead and four others, including the driver, hospitalized. The driver has been arrested on charges of causing death by dangerous driving.
The incident occurred around 5:45 a.m. on Tuesday when a grey Mazda 3 Tamura veered off the A6 road in Kibworth and ended up in a ditch.
One of the passengers, Chiranjeevi Panguluri (32), originally from Ongole and recently a graduate of Swansea University, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The other passengers and the driver were transported to the hospital for treatment. The driver, a 27-year-old male student from Guntur, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. He has since been released on police bail after being discharged from the hospital on Wednesday.
Pranavi, a University of Leicester student from Guntur, sustained minor injuries and has also been discharged from the hospital. Another passenger, Badri, from Ongole and a recent Swansea University graduate, suffered a hand injury and a swollen eye and remains in a Leicester hospital. Hemalaiah, a Nottingham University student from Guntur residing in Leicester, sustained serious injuries and is still hospitalized, according to his friends.
Leicestershire police have stated that while the injuries sustained by the passengers are severe, they are not considered life-threatening.
The five Telugu students were all based in Leicester and were carpooling to work at a warehouse on the morning of the crash. Friends revealed that rainy weather caused the car’s tyres to skid, leading to brake failure. The driver reportedly attempted to stop the vehicle by steering it toward a roadside object, but the car ultimately slid down a slope and landed in a ditch.
Pranavi managed to flag down a truck driver, who promptly contacted the authorities for help.