Three Gujarati women from the US died in a tragic car crash in South Carolina due to overspeeding. The speeding SUV they were in veered off the road, crashed into trees and launched into the air. Investigations are ongoing, and the driver’s condition remains unknown. The victims, originally from Gujarat’s Anand district, were settled in the US.
The accident occurred on April 26 at noon on the Staunton Bridge along Interstate 85 near Lakeside Road in South Carolina. The overspeeding car veered out of control went 20 feet high in the air and crashed into trees.
The victims in this tragic accident were Rekha Dilip Patel, Sangita Bhavnesh Patel, and Manisha Rajendra Patel were originally from Gujarat and shifted to the US. While Sangita’s father remained in Gujarat, the rest of the family 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 father of Sangita.
Chief Deputy Coroner Mike Ellis confirmed the accident, “When the vehicle jumped all four lanes of traffic, it struck trees probably at least 20 feet above the ground,” he was quoted as saying. It’s obvious that they were travelling above the posted speed limit and for some reason left the roadway,” Ellis said, adding, “Unsure exactly why at this time.”
They were identified by relatives in Anand and were related through marital ties. The crash left the community in shock, with prayers offered for the departed souls in their villages.
Niranjan Patel, a resident of Vasna (Borsad), said a prayer meeting was organised in their village for the three women. “Rekhaben and Sangitaben used to live with their husbands in Atlanta, Georgia and were going towards South Carolina when the accident occurred. The villagers expressed grief during the prayer meeting,” said Niranjan Patel.
Investigations are ongoing to ascertain the cause of the accident, with authorities indicating that the SUV’s speed exceeded the posted limit. The injured driver has been hospitalized, and efforts to determine the circumstances leading to the crash are underway, with multiple emergency response units involved in the scene’s management.
