HYDERABAD: A youngster from Hyderabad died in a road accident in North Carolina in the United States on Saturday. On May 11, Nallakunta resident Sahith Reddy, who had been in the States for over a year now, was mowed down by an unidentified vehicle when he was leaving the gymnasium at 4.30 am. He was not immediately identified because he was not carrying any official documents, his relatives said.
“For two days, the authorities could not contact any family or friend. It was when his friends approached the authorities after he did not return, that they came to know of the matter,” Sahith’s father, Madhusudan Reddy, a former BHEL employee, said.

Sahith moved to the US over a year ago in search of a job after completing his Masters in Science in the city, and had taken up odd jobs to keep himself afloat over there. His parents have appealed to the State government and the Ministry of External Affairs to help repatriate their son’s body.

Meanwhile, Sahith’s friends, Akshay Reddy Thatikonda and others, started a crowdfunding campaign to help bring his mortal remains to India. Of the $15,000 (Rs 10.5 lakh) target Akshay set, the campaign has already accrued $15,085 (`10.6 lakh).

Akshay said that Brown-Wynne Funeral services in North Carolina would take care of the embalming and finish the paperwork. Sahith’s body would then be sent to New Jersey, where Habitat for Humanity “will clear the consulate work and ship him to India”.

The Telugu Association of North America has got in touch with Sahith’s relatives and friends in the US and has offered to help.