The dreams of seeing their son well settled in life were shattered for P. Kamal Kumar Gupta and his wife Padma as their elder son Goutham Kumar (19) met with a tragic end in a road accident in the U.S. on April 20 (local time). Goutham and his friend Mukka Nivesh (20), from Huzurabad town in Karimnagar district, lost their lives in a tragic accident during a weekend trip to a waterfall in Arizona. The car they were travelling in was reportedly rammed by a truck on Castle Hot Springs Road, near Lake Pleasant Access Road and State Route 74, resulting in the death of the two promising youngsters and injuring two others.
Goutham had been sent to pursue a B. Tech degree at Arizona State University by Mr. Kamal Kumar, with the belief that completing undergraduate studies would facilitate early employment opportunities. Naveen Kumar, Goutham’s uncle, expressed shock at the news, stating that they had been anticipating his return on May 22, with confirmed flight tickets, when they received the devastating call informing them of his demise.
Mr. Kamal Kumar, a gold merchant residing with his family in Waddepally locality of Hanamkonda, is also actively involved in leading the Jangaon District Arya Vyshya Sangam as the president. The untimely loss of Goutham has cast a pall of gloom over the Brindavan Apartments’ neighbourhood in Waddepally.
Efforts are underway to bring the bodies to India at the earliest with assistance from the Telugu Association of North America (TANA), according to family members, who also appealed to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, to extend all help .