Heading west on Highway 42 in Miller County just after 10:30 Sunday morning, the car crossed the center line and was hit broadside by a pickup.
Friends soon learned the driver, 22 year old Murali Bottu, was critically injured. But they heard no news about the rest. "We just thought the most serious guy would be taken care of first. So the thing we had in mind was, ok, these guys had small injuries, and probably they're in nearby hospitals. We had hope," says Gandikota.
Four or five hours later, they learned four of their friends were killed. "It's been pretty hard on all of us," says Gandikota.
24 year old Srupen Reddy Velumula, 22 year old Sri Harsha Chitturi, 21 year old Srikanth Ravi, and 23 year old Dheeraj Gudlawar were all pronounced dead at the scene.
"We are absolutely shocked and saddened by this," says Allada.
The campus' tight-knit Indian community is banding together for support, but they know they're not the only ones who need it. They're praying for Murali's quick recovery, and for family members far away.
"The parents, especially back home in India, they need huge support, so that's where we are trying to focus right now," says Tirumalasetty.
Missouri S&T has more than 250 Indian students. The University is providing counseling for grieving students.
The driver of the pickup, Darren Denter of Glencove, Missouri, refused medical treatment. His passenger, Robert Davis, of Cedar Hill, suffered moderate injuries.
The young men in the car were all graduate students from Missouri University of Science and Technology.
Bottu, 22, of Chittoor, India, was critically injured and flown to University Hospitals in Columbia. He graduated on Friday night with a master’s degree in electrical engineering.
The following Missouri S&T students, all passengers in Bottu’s vehicle, died at the scene:
• Srupen Reddy Velumula, 24, of Karimnlagar, India, a graduate student in information science and technology, who graduated Friday night with his master’s degree in that subject;
• Sri Harsha Chitturi, 22, of Visakhapatnam, India, a graduate student in computer science;
• Srikanth Ravi, 21, of Hyderabad, India, a graduate student in manufacturing engineering; and
• Dheeraj Gudlawar, 23, of Hyderabad, India, a graduate student in information science and technology.
Crash Report
