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Hyderabad family was returning from vacation
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The Indian community in both Dallas and Hyderabad has expressed deep sorrow over the loss. Efforts are now underway to support the bereaved extended family and arrange for the final rites
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The accident has once again raised concerns about road safety and reckless driving on American highways
In a heartbreaking incident that has sent shockwaves across communities in India and the U.S., a Hyderabad-based Indian family of four was killed in a devastating road accident in Greene County, Missouri. The victims — Bejigam Srivenkat (40), his wife Cholleti Tejaswani (36), and their children Siddhartha (9) and Mruda (7) — were burnt alive after their vehicle caught fire following a head-on collision with a mini-truck on Monday.
The family, originally from Hyderabad, was returning to their home in Dallas after spending a vacation in Atlanta with relatives. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol, the collision occurred when a mini-truck traveling on the wrong side of the road rammed into their vehicle. The impact caused their car to ignite almost instantly, trapping the occupants inside. By the time emergency responders reached the scene, the fire had fully engulfed the car, leaving no survivors.
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Just days before the tragedy, the family had driven to Atlanta to visit Deepika
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While Srivenkat’s parents stayed back for a longer visit, he and his wife and children began the return journey to Dallas — a trip that would tragically end in their untimely deaths
Local authorities were able to identify the victims using Siddhartha’s school ID card found near the wreckage. A follow-up investigation led police to the family’s locked residence in Dallas. Contact was then made with Srivenkat’s sister, Deepika, who confirmed their travel plans. Forensic teams later collected DNA samples from the charred remains to formally confirm the identities before the bodies were released to the grieving family.
Srivenkat hailed from Jupiter Colony in Tirumalgiri, and Tejaswani was from NCL Borth Avenue in Kompally Municipality. Both were software engineers who moved to the United States a few years ago after Srivenkat secured a job in Dallas. The couple had settled into their life in Texas, with their children attending local schools and Srivenkat’s parents also joining them abroad recently.
