Indian-origin couple, daughter killed in US car crash; teenage son sole survivor
Houston, Aug 18: In a tragic incident, an Indian-origin couple and their teenage daughter were killed in a road accident while driving her to college in the US state of Texas, leaving behind their 14-year-old son as the lone survivor.
Arvind Mani (45), his wife Pradeepa Arvind (40) and their 17-year-old daughter Andril Arvind, who all were from Leander, were killed in the car crash on Wednesday near Lampasas County in Texas, the Austin American Statesman reported.
Their only surviving immediate family member, son Adiryan (14), was not in the vehicle with them.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, a 2004 Cadillac CTS driven by 31-year-old Jacinto Gudino Duran, of Copperas Cove, was heading southbound on US Route 281 at the same time a 2024 Kia Telluride, operated by Mani, was heading northbound.
Evidence at the scene showed the right rear tyre of the Cadillac had a blowout, crash investigators were quoted as saying by FOX10TV.com.
Witnesses claimed the vehicle passed them at a high speed before the collision.
The Texas Department of Public Safety said the blowout caused the driver of the Cadillac to lose control and cross over to the northbound lane into the Kia’s path.
The Kia crashed into the passenger side of Cadillac, causing extensive damage to both vehicles, officials said.
"It is one of the worst crashes I have seen in 26 years because of the magnitude of the damage and amount of people lost," said Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Bryan Washko.
Twenty-three-year-old Yosilu Gasman Martinez-Lopez, of Copperas Cove, was identified as a passenger in the Cadillac.
There were two passengers in the Kia at the time, named Pradeepa and Andril.
All five people in both vehicles were pronounced dead at the scene.
Mani and his wife were driving their daughter to college in North Texas and had left their son behind because he started school that day, Washko said.
Andril graduated from Rouse High School and was going to attend the University of Dallas, where she planned to study computer science, according to the GoFundMe set up for her brother.
"The Rouse High School family is deeply saddened to share the loss of one of our very own Raiders from the Class of 2024, Andril Arvind," said a letter sent to parents from the school's principal.
"Andril and her parents were involved in an automobile accident this morning, and we are sad to share that there were no survivors. This news has brought great sorrow to our campus and has impacted many in our community. Our thoughts and prayers are with Andril’s family and friends."
As of Saturday, more than USD 758,000 has been raised to support the family’s surviving member Adiryan, who just started ninth grade, according to the GoFundMe organiser.
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Karnataka government employees demand return of Old Pension Scheme
Bengaluru: Government employees in Karnataka have urged the state government to scrap the New Pension Scheme (NPS) and bring back the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), The New Indian Express reported.
The demand was made by the Karnataka State Government Employees’ Association, whose leaders met senior IAS officer Uma Mahadevan on Monday and submitted a memorandum. The association asked the NPS Review Committee, headed by senior IAS officer Anjum Parvez, to recommend the reintroduction of OPS in the state.
Association president C.S. Shadakshari reportedly said the review committee has already visited Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana where NPS was revoked and OPS re-implemented. The committee is yet to submit its report, but has told the government it will do so soon.
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Shadakshari allegedly said NPS has been in force in Karnataka since 2006. He pointed out that West Bengal never adopted the scheme, while Andhra Pradesh and Telangana replaced NPS with a contributory pension model.
States including Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Jharkhand have already scrapped NPS through cabinet decisions or budget announcements.
“Under NPS, 10% of the employees’ basic salary and DA, and 14% contribution from the state is credited to the employees’ fund. It constitutes 24% of the total which is non-withdrawable. This is invested in the share market and the final amount depends on the ups and downs of the market,” TNIE quoted Shadakshar as saying.
As per the report, he said that by limiting its contribution to 14%, the government could save up to ₹1.87 lakh crore annually if all vacancies are filled, strengthening the case for bringing back the old pension system.
