Dr Kanike Priyanka dies after week-long battle for survival

Dr Kanike Priyanka, a 28-year-old doctor pursuing MD in Rajahmundry, died at KIMS Hospital after suffering severe injuries in a car accident. Two youths accused of drunk driving were arrested following the incident that sparked outrage across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana

Hyderabad: Dr Kanike Priyanka, the 28-year-old doctor pursuing her master’s in Rajahmundry, who sustained severe injuries in a gut-wrenching incident that sent shockwaves across both the Telugu States, has succumbed to her injuries.

Dr Priyanka’s tragic passing brings a heartbreaking end to a week-long battle for survival, leaving her family, friends, and the medical fraternity in mourning and with a sense of loss.

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She passed away at around 3.25 pm on Sunday while undergoing treatment at KIMS Hospital, Secunderabad, about a week after she was brutally struck by a car driven by intoxicated youngsters in Rajahmundry. Dr Priyanka, who hailed from Eklaspuram in Aiza Mandal, Jogulamba Gadwal district, was pursuing her second-year MD (Dermatology) at GSL Medical College in Rajahmundry.

What actually happened

The horrifying sequence of events unfolded on the night of August 3 when Dr Priyanka, alongside a friend, visited the Prasaditya Mall multiplex area on AV Apparao Road in Rajahmundry. As they were leaving the mall on their bike, disaster struck.

According to the local police and eyewitness accounts, two local youths, identified as Souravarapu Daswanth and Andrew Joseph Edwards, were allegedly under the influence of alcohol and were driving a car recklessly.

The intoxicated youths first rammed their car lightly into the bike being ridden by Dr Priyanka and her friend. Angered by it, Dr Priyanka questioned the drivers, which triggered anger among the youngsters.

In a fit of anger, the car driven by the youngsters mowed into Dr Priyanka’s two-wheeler a second time. The brutal impact threw her onto the pavement, and the vehicle ran over her, causing head injuries that later proved to be fatal.

Following the accident, Dr Priyanka was initially admitted to a local hospital in Rajahmundry and later shifted to KIMS, Secunderabad. Despite the best efforts of a specialised team of neurocritical care experts over the past seven days, her condition failed to improve. On Sunday, doctors officially pronounced her dead.

The loss of a brilliant young doctor with a promising future has shattered her father and other family members. Her father, Venkatesh, broke down before the media, lamenting the senseless loss caused by drunken driving.

According to reports, following the incident, the accused youths Daswanth and Andrew Joseph were arrested, produced before a local court, and remanded to 14 days judicial custody.

The incident has triggered massive public outrage across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, with student bodies, medical associations, and citizens calling for absolute zero tolerance toward drunk driving and demanding tough punishment against the two youths.