Missing Indian-Origin Family Found Dead in Tragic US Car Crash

Four senior citizens of an Indian-origin family, who were reported missing during a road trip from New York, have been found dead after their car crashed off an embankment in West Virginia. The victims, identified as Dr. Kishore Divan (89), Asha Divan (85), Shailesh Divan (86), and Gita Divan (84), were on their way to a spiritual retreat when the tragic accident occurred.

The family had been missing since July 29, sparking a multi-day search operation. They were last seen at a Burger King outlet on Peach Street in Erie, Pennsylvania, where they also made their final credit card transaction. Surveillance footage captured two of the family members at the location, and a license plate reader later detected their light green Toyota Camry with New York plates (EKW2611) traveling south.

The group was traveling from Buffalo, New York, to Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold, a well-known ISKCON temple in Marshall County, West Virginia, where they had pre-paid for lodging but never checked in. Concern grew after the family failed to arrive at their destination and became unreachable by phone. Their last known cell phone signals were detected in the early hours of July 30 in the Moundsville and Wheeling areas of West Virginia.

The search culminated on the night of August 2, when authorities located the vehicle off a steep embankment along Big Wheeling Creek Road in Marshall County. In a statement, the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the tragic outcome. “Marshal County Sheriff Mike Dougherty has confirmed that the four individuals who were reported missing from Buffalo, New York, have been found deceased following a vehicle crash,” the office announced. First responders were on the scene for over five hours to manage the recovery.

Before the discovery, law enforcement agencies had intensified search efforts, with plans to deploy helicopters. The family’s vehicle had been entered into the National Crime Information Center database, and community organizations like the Council of Heritage and Arts of India (CHAI) had raised awareness, expressing deep concern for the missing couples. Sheriff Dougherty extended his condolences to the victims’ families, and the investigation into the crash is ongoing.