AP: 4 students enroute New Year's party die in accident

Four engineering students were killed and three others critically injured as their speeding car hit a road divider before ramming into a truck from behind. The accident occurred in Guntur near Lalpuram on the Chilakaluripet-Guntur road.

All the seven students, aged below 20 years, were on their way to Vijayawada city to enjoy New Year's celebrations. Police said three died on the spot and one succumbed to his injuries at the Guntur government general hospital. The condition of another is stated to be very critical. The deceased were identified as Dhanush, Sai Ram, Koteswara Rao and Kapoor. Except for Kapoor, the others were from Guntur town.

All the youths were second-year students at the RVR Engineering College on Guntur outskirts. One of the students brought a car to enjoy New Year's Eve. They had plans to go to Bhavani Island in river Krishna between Guntur and Vijayawada where their other friends were organizing a New Year's party. College principal K Srinivasa Rao, who rushed to the spot, said the boys had left the college around 11 am.

Preliminary investigations reveal that the car was travelling at a speed of 160 km/h when the ghastly accident took place. Eyewitnesses say that the car hit a road divider first and then rammed into a truck proceeding in the same direction. The impact was such that the truck too overturned. The truck driver and cleaner were also injured. The car was completely mangled. Police are trying to confirm whether the boys were drunk.

YSR Congress Party president YS Jaganmohan Reddy in a statement expressed shock over the tragedy.