VIJAYAWADA: A 23-year-old student from Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh, Vangavolu Deepthi, lost her life in a hit-and-run case in Denton city, Texas, just weeks before completing her master’s degree. Deepthi was pursuing MS in computer and information science at the University of North Texas in the US after finishing her BTech from Narasaraopet Engineering College in Guntur in 2023.
The accident took place in the early hours of April 12, when Deepthi and her friend, Snigdha from Medikonduru in AP, were walking along Carril Al Lago drive, a residential street. A speeding sedan mowed down the two students and fled the scene. Deepthi suffered critical head injuries, while Snigdha sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Emergency responders rushed the duo to a nearby hospital, where Deepthi was kept in intensive care. Despite receiving advanced treatment, supported by a crowdfunding campaign that raised nearly $80,000, she succumbed on April 15. Snigdha is currently undergoing treatment.
The Denton police department has launched an investigation and issued an appeal for public assistance in locating the vehicle.
Deepthi’s family, devastated by the news, recalled their last conversation with her on April 10. She had invited her parents to attend her convocation in May. Her father, Hanumantha Rao, a small trader, and mother, Ramadevi, a homemaker, sold a portion of their farmland to fund her education abroad.
Deepthi’s body would be airlifted on Saturday and reach home on Monday. The office of junior Union minister Pemmasani Chandrasekhar coordinated with officials in the US to ensure Deepthi received prompt medical care, and is now overseeing the arrangements for the arrival of her body.
