2 Indian students killed in traffic collision in US' Arizona near Lake Pleasant

Washington: Two Indian students in the United States were killed on the spot in a head-on traffic collision near Lake Pleasant in Arizona, according to police.

The victims, reportedly from Telangana, have been identified as 19-year-old Nivesh Mukka and 19-year-old Goutham Parsi.

They were enrolled as international students at Arizona State University.

According to the Peoria Police, the fatal traffic collision occurred around 6:18 pm on April 20, when they responded to a report of a collision on Castle Hot Springs Road, just north of State Route 74.

The multiple-vehicle collision involved two vehicles -- a white 2024 Kia Forte and a red 2022 Ford F150 -- that had collided head-on.

Preliminary investigation shows that the driver of the red F150 was travelling southbound on Castle Hot Springs Road while the white Kia Forte was travelling northbound.

Mukka and Parsi “died from their injuries on (the) scene”, while the driver of the car in which they were travelling was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries and has since been released.

The other car’s driver, the sole occupant of the vehicle, was also taken to a local hospital with serious injuries and has been released, the statement said.

The area was closed for several hours during the investigation but was reopened for normal traffic Sunday morning.

"The cause of this collision is still being investigated," the police said.

"Our thoughts are with the victims, their families, and everybody who rendered aid during this tragic incident,” the Peoria Police Department said.

The Arizona State University said the International Students and Scholars Centre is working with the dean of students, counselling services and housing representatives to identify the student groups, friends and roommates of the victims so that they can offer any needed support.