CROWN POINT, Ind. — A 25-year-old Indian student from Telangana was killed and six others were injured in a late-night highway crash near Chicago, according to Indiana State Police and local authorities.
The victim was identified as Navya Gadusu, who was pronounced dead shortly after midnight Sunday by the Lake County Coroner’s Office. Authorities said she died from blunt force traumatic injuries sustained in the crash.
The accident occurred around 11:15 p.m. Saturday on northbound Interstate 65, about a mile south of the Crown Point exit in northwest Indiana, police said.
According to a preliminary investigation by Indiana State Police, a red Dodge minivan carrying seven adults was traveling at an unusually slow speed of about 10 to 15 mph while following another vehicle experiencing mechanical problems. A Chevrolet Suburban approaching from behind attempted to swerve to avoid the minivan but struck its rear driver’s side, sending the vehicle off the roadway and into a ditch.
Authorities said the minivan had only its two front seats installed, while several passengers were reportedly seated on boxes of mangoes without seat belts, contributing to the severity of injuries.
Several injured passengers were initially taken to nearby hospitals before some were transferred to medical facilities in the Chicago area for additional treatment, police said.
Reports identified Gadusu as a graduate student from the Indian state of Telangana who was pursuing higher education in the United States while working part-time.
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The Consulate General of India in Chicago expressed condolences to Gadusu’s family and said it was coordinating with relatives, friends and members of the Indian community assisting the injured victims. The consulate said it remained in contact with local authorities regarding the case.
Indiana State Police continue to investigate the crash.
