Andhra student in Texas succumbs to accident injuries month before graduation

A road accident in Texas resulted in the death of Vangavolu Deepti, a 23-year-old student from Rajendranagar in Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur district. Deepti, who was pursuing her Master’s degree at the University of North Texas in Denton City, passed away on April 15 after sustaining serious injuries in an accident three days earlier.

On April 12, Deepti was walking along the road with her friend Snigdha from Medikonduru when a speeding car struck them. Deepti suffered severe head injuries, while Snigdha was also injured.

Following the incident, Deepti’s friends contacted her father, Hanumantha Rao, who in turn reached out to the camp office of Union Minister of State Pemmashani Chandrasekhar in Guntur.

Chandrasekhar was informed and his team in the US took steps to coordinate better medical care for Deepti. His brother, Ravishankar, who is based in Guntur, suggested initiating a crowdfunding campaign. Around USD 80,000 was raised online for Deepti’s treatment. Despite the efforts, Deepti succumbed to the injuries.

Deepti was nearing the completion of her Master’s program and was expected to return home next month. Her parents, Hanumantha Rao and Ramadevi, said she had recently spoken to them and invited them to attend her graduation ceremony. They said they never imagined it would be their last conversation with her.

Deepti had consistently excelled in her academics, topping her 10th grade, intermediate, and engineering exams, they shared. To support her higher studies abroad, the family had sold part of their land. Deepti’s father is a small-scale businessman, and her mother, Ramadevi, is a homemaker. Her sister, Srilakshmi, is a second-year engineering student.

Her body is expected to arrive in Guntur by Saturday. Her friend Snigdha is currently receiving treatment at a hospital.