Issue date: 3/23/09 Section: News

Priya Darshini Muppavarapu

Anusha Anumolu

Anitha Lakshmi Veerapaneni

Correction added


Three best friends from India came together to the United States to study and each had their own big plans for their future.

Anusha Anumolu, Anitha Lakshmi Veerapaneni and Priya Darshini Muppavarapu were international students in the master's degree program in technology at Eastern.

Anumolu was planning on completing her master's degree within a year from now and planned to go to India in July to visit her parents and other relatives.

Veerapaneni had recently become engaged to Netish Adusumilli. They had plans to marry on May 18.

Muppavarapu had also recently become engaged with plans to marry in May 2009.

Those plans were shattered after an early Saturday morning car accident near St. Louis.

Veerapaneni, Anumolu and Muppavarapu were pronounced dead at the scene at 2:15 a.m., according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report.

Veerapaneni's fiancé, Adusumilli, 27, of Ballwin, Mo., was driving south on Des Peres Road in Des Peres, Mo. with the three Eastern students and Veerapaneni's cousin, Satya Chinta, 23, of Aurora, Ill. when they were struck by an off-duty suburban St. Louis police officer.

Christine L. Miller, 41, of Kirkwood, Mo., was traveling east in the westbound lanes of Dougherty Ferry Road.

At approximately 1:45 a.m. Saturday, the accident occurred as Adusumilli attempted to make a right turn onto westbound Dougherty Ferry Road, and Miller struck the right side of his vehicle.

Chinta was also pronounced dead at the scene.

Miller and Adusumilli were taken by ambulance to St. John's Mercy Medical Center in Creve Couer, Mo.

In the crash report, Miller was listed in serious condition, and Adusumilli in moderate.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch and The Associated Press reported that Miller may have been drinking.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol said there was no word on whether alcohol was or was not involved.

Authorities are still conducting the investigation.

A bus will be provided by the university for a group memorial trip to St. Louis before the bodies are returned home to India, said Vicki Woodard, coordinator of public information, in a university press release.

Personnel from the International Programs and the EIU Counseling Center met Sunday with the victims' friends and fellow international students to answer questions, assist with the grieving process and to discuss plans for the memorial trip, Woodard said.

The trip is scheduled to take place later this week, but the exact date and time are to be announced.

Those interested should contact the counseling center at 581-3413 as soon as possible because space will be limited.

"We extend our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of these young ladies," Woodard said. "Their deaths are a tremendous loss to the EIU community.

Lakshmi Neelesh Nimmagadda, a graduate student in computer technology, was close friends with the Eastern victims.

He said he recently spoke with them on March 16 before leaving for spring break.

"We never expected such thing to be happen," Nimmagadda said. "We all miss them a lot and prays to God for their soul to be in peace."

He knew Anumolu before coming to the United States, as she is a friend of his best friend, Satish Anumolu. He came to know Veerapaneni and Muppavarapu after coming to the United States because the three women were close friends and lived together.

Nimmagadda said the three women came together in January 2008 to complete their master's degree in computer science.

In August 2008, the three transferred together to Eastern from Oklahoma City University.

Just like his three friends, Nimmagadda is in his first semester at Eastern after transferring from Oklahoma City University.

"They helped me in the initial stage to adjust to this education system, and also helped me regarding my accommodation and all when I reached U.S. for the first time," Nimmagadda said. "Only because of these girls, me along with my friends came to EIU to continue our rest of the education."

He described the three women as "very friendly to everyone, talks whole-heartedly and helping nature."

Nimmagadda has one class together with the three victims where he said they used to help him with assignments and would quickly respond to questions in class.

The counseling center is open to any member of the Eastern community needing support. Those with questions for International Programs should call 581-2321.


Emily Zulz can be reached at 581-7942 or at eazulz@eiu.edu.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools

The Daily Eastern News encourages on-topic, civil discussion on its articles posted online. It is our policy not to screen comments before they are posted or edit them after they are posted. However, we reserve the right to remove comments that are off-topic, malicious, libelous or include excessive foul language. The DEN also reserves the right to turn off all comments on any story it deems necessary.

Comments violating copyright law will also be removed.

Users who repeatedly violate this policy will be banned from commenting.

If you have any questions on our comment policy or wish to report a comment that you feel violates these standards, please e-mail a link to the article to our Online Editor at DENNews.com@gmail.com.