Indian family met with car crash around 5 miles from West Virginia destination: Tracing their journey
Asha Divan (85), Kishore Divan (89), Shailesh Divan (86), and Gita Divan (84) were travelling from Buffalo in New York to Prabhupada's Palace of Gold in West Virginia, when they went missing since July 29.
The US authorities said that the family died in a car crash near a steep embankment along Big Wheeling Creek Road, which was barely five miles from their destination.
Also Read: Indian-origin family vanishes on US road trip, CCTV shows last seen at Pennsylvania Burger King
The four family members were on a road trip in a 2009 Toyota Camry travelling to Prabhupada's Palace of Gold, a spiritual retreat in Moundsville, West Virginia.
They were last seen on July 29 at a Burger King outlet on Peach Street in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Tracing their journey
The four elderly family members started their journey in a light green Toyota Camry bearing a New York license plate (EKW2611) from Buffalo in New York. They had planned to visit the Palace of Gold on McCreary's Ridge Road in Marshall County in West Virginia.
After starting from New York, the family visited a temple in Pittsburgh. The group then headed to Moundsville in West Virginia, where they were supposed to check into Palace Lodge Hotel, before visiting the temple. However, the authorities said that the four never checked into their pre-booked accommodation.
The family was spotted at a Burger King on Peach Street in Erie, Pennsylvania. The CCTV footage showed two members of the family entering the fast-food restaurant, marking the last confirmed sighting of the group. Their credit card transaction also confirmed their last location.
Also Read: Indian family, on way to US temple, dies in tragic car crash
The US authorities said that their vehicle was last detected on a Pennsylvania State Trooper's License Plate Reader while travelling south on I-79 at around 2:45 pm on July 29. The location was around 60 kilometres from their destination.
Tragic death
The US authorities on Sunday confirmed that the four individuals were found dead in a vehicle crash.
Their vehicle was located at around 9:30 pm (local time) on Saturday off a steep embankment along Big Wheeling Creek Road.
The site of the accident was barely five miles from their destination, Prabhupada's Palace of Gold, according to Google Maps navigation. The spiritual retreat in Moundsville was located at the edge of West Virginia, near the border with Pennsylvania. The final half-hour stretch to the temple was known to be a difficult terrain.
"The victims have been identified as Dr. Kishore Divan, Mrs. Asha Divan, Mr. Shailesh Divan, and Mrs. Gita Divan. Their vehicle was located on Saturday, August 2, at approximately 9:30 PM, off a steep embankment along Big Wheeling Creek Road. First responders were on the scene for more than five hours," Marshal County Sheriff Mike Dougherty said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Amritpal's party denies link to Canada-based pro-Khalistani outfit
1 2 3 Chandigarh: Akali Dal Waris Punjab De, the political party of jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh , has denied any association with Canada-based pro-Khalistani organisation Anandpur Khalsa Fauj International Association (AKFIA), a group that Punjab Police claim is recruiting and training Sikh youth for guerrilla warfare against the country. In a "clarification" on its letterhead on July 26, Akali Dal Waris Punjab De, formed on Jan 13 on Maghi Mela in Muktsar, has denied "any type of relation" with the group set up in Surrey in Feb. Referring to a letter dated March 23, 2025, by Punjab additional director general of police (intelligence) to all commissioners of police and senior superintendents of police, the grounds of detention supplied to Amritpal to detain him under NSA for another year cited resolutions passed by AKFIA. These resolutions allegedly "urged Sikhs to undergo arms training", advocated "armed struggle for complete independence of Punjab", and planned "to gherao Indian embassies over the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar (now deceased). " Amritpal, who has been in Assam's Dibrugarh jail for three consecutive years, had his NSA detention extended for the third time on April 17. Nine grounds of detention had been conveyed to Amritpal. In 2023, Amritpal was alleged to be involved in arranging arms and weapons training for the Sikh youth in his native village Jallupur Khera to create a radicalised force, Anandpur Khalsa Fauj (AKF), with police claiming to recover weapons and jackets with 'AKF' written on them. The clarification regarding the Canada-based AKFIA by Amritpal's party further read, "On the basis of this organisation, the NSA has also been imposed for the third time on Amritpal Singh by the govt. In the times to come, Akali Dal Waris Punjab De and Amritpal Singh Khalsa (MP Khadoor Sahib) will not be responsible for any kind of acts of this (read AKFIA) organisation." The next day, on July 27, the clarification was also put out on the official X account of Waris Punjab De chief. Advocate Imaan Singh Khara, chief spokesperson, Akali Dal Waris Punjab De, told TOI that Amritpal has been in jail for three years in a row and could not have directed the formation of any organisation. Khara challenged the govt to provide evidence of such an order. Vancouver-based Sukhjinder Pal Singh Mann, associated with the AKFIA's formation in Surrey, Canada, had earlier put out a video denying any "basic/primary relationship between his group and any other association in Punjab or outside the state. Mann said in the video that AKFIA was formed on Feb 16 in Gurdwara Guru Nanak Sahib in Canada on the third anniversary of "Shaheed Deep Singh Sidhu." Sidhu, a Punjabi actor and Sikh activist, had shot into the limelight following the Red Fort violence during the farmers' rally against the now-scrapped farm laws on Republic Day in 2021. He had died in a road accident on the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal highway near Haryana's Sonipat in Feb 2022. When contacted on Tuesday, Mann told TOI, "We have already made it clear that we don't have any link with any other association in Punjab or outside. Our organisation has been formed for the freedom of Punjab. We stand by all those who are concerned with Panth and Punjab. This organisation has not been made on the directions of Amritpal Singh. He did not direct its formation verbally or in writing. He is respectable to us, and our love for him will remain till the last breath and till the time he keeps on batting for the interests of Punjab. "
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Thai woman, Nigerian man arrested with MD drugs
Bhopal: In a major breakthrough in the ongoing crackdown on the Yasin-Shahwar drug trafficking ring, Bhopal Crime Branch on Tuesday claimed to have arrested a Thai woman and a Nigerian national for allegedly supplying synthetic drugs in the city. Police seized 2.95 grams of MDMA (commonly known as MD) during the operation. According to police, the Nigerian national is believed to be the primary MDMA supplier for Yasin's network, while the Thai woman was actively involved in distributing drugs both online and offline in Bhopal and Delhi. The woman also worked at spa centres in the city, allegedly using them as fronts for drug peddling activities. Following the arrest of six members of Yasin's gang, police expanded their probe and unearthed links to Delhi, where a Nigerian man was identified as a key supplier. The Thai woman ferried consignments to Bhopal over the past two years and even rented a flat in Sheetal Dham, Hoshangabad Road, to facilitate operations. The Crime Branch nabbed the 41-year-old Thai woman from her residence and recovered 2.95 grams of MDMA, which was intended for a private party at a city farmhouse. However, the woman was unaware of the exact destination for the consignment. The woman has a prior record of a fraud case registered at Gandhi Nagar police station, Bhopal. The arrested Nigerian national, identified as 34-year-old Orachor Onyeka, is already facing cases under the Foreigners Act and fraud sections at DLF Phase-1 police station in Delhi. Onyeka has a sprawling drug distribution network across Bhopal, Delhi, and other Indian cities. Police sources revealed that he imports MDMA from foreign countries and has been operating in India for the past seven years. He contacted his clients through WhatsApp, Telegram, and other online platforms. He supplied MDMA to the nabbed drug peddlers Yasin and Shahwar. Cops believe that he might be manufacturing the chemical drugs at his hideout. Spa Centres Under Scanner After Thai Woman's Arrest: The Crime Branch officials confirmed that the arrested Thai woman worked at multiple spa centres in Bhopal and Delhi. This has brought the city's spa establishments under police scrutiny to ascertain if they were used as drug distribution hubs. Officials hinted that more names might surface during the ongoing investigation. Additional DCP (Crime Branch) Shailendra Singh Chouhan said that police recovered Indian SIM cards from the nabbed Nigerian man and Thai woman. They were issued on a local Indian individual's identity. Police are investigating the numbers and trying to contact the person on whose documents these SIM cards were issued. If the accused fraudulently used the documents to get the SIM cards, a separate FIR will be registered against them. Police Commissioner Harinarayanchari Mishra said, "Both foreign nationals are being interrogated further. The Nigerian was primarily operating through Delhi, while the Thai woman was active in both Delhi and Bhopal. More revelations are expected as the investigation progresses."
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
28-yr-old held for drugging, raping woman
Kolkata: Police arrested a 28-year-old man on charges of drugging and raping a woman he met on Facebook. The arrest follows a complaint lodged at Parnasree PS on July 31. Cops said the accused met the woman at various locations. He allegedly portrayed himself as a successful businessman who frequently travelled for work. The alleged crime occurred when the accused invited the woman to his Parnasree home. Police reports indicate that after some conversation and food, the accused pressured the woman to smoke a cigarette despite her refusal. She claimed she lost consciousness and was raped. "On regaining consciousness, she claimed, she found her clothes in disarray and realized she had been raped," said an officer. "When she tried to leave, the man reportedly assaulted her. " You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata
