New Delhi: Three Indian-origin women from Gujarat were killed on the spot in a devastating accident in the US state of South Carolina when their overspeeding car veered out of control before jumping at least 20 feet in the air and crashing into trees, authorities said. The incident took place on Friday at noon along the Staunton Bridge Road near Lakeside Road, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol troopers, Fox News Carolina reported.
Chief Deputy Coroner Mike Ellis from the Greenville County Coroner’s Office disclosed that the three women were traveling in an SUV at high speed along the northbound lanes of Interstate 85. Identified by relatives as Rekha Dilip Patel, Sangita Bhavnesh Patel, and Manisha Rajendra Patel, the trio hailed from Gujarat's Anand district but had settled in the US. They belonged to Vasna (Borsad) and Kavitha villages in the Borsad taluka of the state’s Anand district. According to relatives, the three women were related, as per PTI.
Rekha and Sangita's husbands, Dilip Patel and Bhavnesh Patel, respectively, are brothers, establishing a familial bond between the two families. Manisha's husband, Rajendra, is a cousin of the two brothers. Apart from Sangita's father, Vitthalbhai, who resides near Kavitha village, all other family members of the three women and their husbands had migrated to the US long ago.
"I have learnt that my daughter and two other women have died in a road accident on Friday in the US. A fourth woman, also a relative, has been admitted to a hospital there. They were going for an outing,” Vitthalbhai Patel told reporters in Anand.
He said Sangita never returned to India after moving there nearly 20 years ago. His son had come here a few months ago for his marriage-related shopping, said Vitthalbhai.
According to Chief Deputy, the vehicle carrying the three women veered off the roadway onto the right-hand shoulder, ascended the embankment, pierced through the cement bridge embankment, and soared over all four lanes of traffic. It then crashed through some trees on the opposite side of the road and descended an embankment.
South Carolina Accident: Overspeeding Car Veered Out Of Control, Car Found In Pieces, Had Exceeded Speed Limit
Ellis remarked, "When the vehicle jumped all four lanes of traffic, it actually struck trees probably at least 20 feet above the ground." He further indicated that it was evident the vehicle was traveling at a speed exceeding the posted limit and inexplicably left the roadway. However, he admitted, "Unsure exactly why at this time."
Authorities confirmed that the three passengers died at the scene. Ellis stated that the victims were residents of Georgia. Additionally, it was reported that the injured driver was hospitalised, although their current condition remains unknown.
Niranjan Patel, a resident of Vasna (Borsad), mentioned that a prayer meeting was held in their village to mourn the loss of the three women. He shared that Rekhaben and Sangitaben resided in Atlanta, Georgia, with their husbands and were on their way to South Carolina when the accident occurred.
The villagers expressed profound sorrow and solidarity during the prayer meeting, reflecting the tight-knit community's grief over the devastating incident.
The car was found in pieces, and no other vehicle was involved in the accident, according to Ellis. He said the vehicle had alerted some family members of the victims that it had been involved in a crash, who were headed to the area as of Friday afternoon, local television channel WYFF reported. Investigations are underway to find out how fast the car might have been going, according to the WSPA television station. South Carolina Highway Patrol, Gannt Fire and Rescue and multiple Greenville County EMS units responded to the scene.