Nepali student dies in US car accident

One Nepali student has died in a car accident in Angola of Indiana state in the US on Wednesday while returning from a New Year trip.

According to Ganesh Neupane, Teaching Assistant at Department of Geology of Bowling Green State University in Ohio, Apsana Giri of Laxmipur Jhapa and an Indian student Sweety Mujhumdhar died in the accident while returning to the university from a trip to Chicago.

Both of the deceased were the students of Seven Bowling Green State University. Two other students were fatally injured and five other received minor injuries.

The accident occurred at approximately 12:20 a.m. when the van they were driving east on the Indiana toll road entered the median and rolled several times. One of the students died at the scene and another was pronounced dead at Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne.

President of the university Sidney Ribeau has been quoted by the university website as saying, "The university community extends its deepest condolences to the families of two international students killed in the tragic accident earlier today. Our thoughts and prayers are with them and with our international community in this time of sadness

Nepalnews.com

Victim- Sweety Mazumdar(India)

very sad news

So sad,

I know apsana very well. It might not be too long she had been there.

So sad

my heartfelt condolences to the family of the departed soul. May her soul rest in peace.

very sad news.

another nepali student got killed in florida last week. he was adhikari. can anyone give some detail?

 

Heart felt Condolence . Pray to god not to hear more of these news in Year 2008

Yaa...it was so snowy that day. And I was too driving in the same way (opposite direction from ohio to chicago) in the same time. I was not able to see the road due to the snow and i had to travel behind a big truck so that I can see the way. Really, it was too dangerous to drive in this kind of weather. Condolence to the Giri Famiy.

It is so sad.

My heartfelt condolences to the family of the departed soul. May her soul rest in peace.

I was also driving from NYC to OH on the same day. There were  many accidents ont the road and it was so dangerous to drive and i got scared. I  put the emergency light and drove in the speed of 15mph. Because of the snow fall, i could not see the road ahead.

This sucks! I feel very sad when i hear this type of news. My Condolences.

My heartfelt condolences.

so sad

This is so sad news. This year about half dozen Nepali students died in accident in USA. Please be careful while driving.

I knew Miss Giri personally. I am feeling very sad now. She was very good student and determined for her interest and future. She was the only one daughter of her parents.

My heartfelt condolences to her family.

 

I wish Heartfelt Condolence to the victim's family and also wanna make aware all Nepales out here to take this matter seroiusly. Please be careful while driving, control overspeeding,avoid drinking and driving. Thanks.

On New Years Day, I was passing by the Bowling Green State University in Ohio. The campus looked so nice, and the road was also very good, but I remember the snow was chasing us, and we were also chasing snow. I mean when I left South Bend, it was so bad snow that I could not drive more than 30 MPH, and no one was on the road. When I arrived to BGSU area, road traffic was quite thin, as compared to other times I passed through.

I wish Heartfelt Condolence to the victim's family. Last year, some nepalis died in similar road accident in new years day or around in Minnesota, and in Texas area .... The frequent news on the death of Nepalis in road and other shootings show that the presence of Nepali in US is quite significant, and something must be done to reduce the number. We can reduced this number if the new comers are instructed on driving rules in snow.

Who will do it? Embassy can create a website: FAQ on living in US avoiding road mishaps and other confrontation with strange people who might carry guns?

I might have to do try to some extent through my website: http://www.nwob.org (Nepalis W/Out Borders). One thing you should know is that pressing accelerator is not a big deal, but pressing break at right at right pressure to control your car is really a difficult job, and is a major factor in all road related accidents. 

Having your leg on accelerator is easy, but Breaking a moved vehicle is a tough job particularly on snow surface where static friction reduces to 1/10 of dry day road, and kinematic friction is usually 1/5 of static friction. Traction force should be mobilized to move a car or stop a car. Once a car skids, you can not stop, and you have no way of stopping it. Please note that modern cars have ABS (Antilock break system). How does it work. The computer in your car constantly sends signal to brake to apply the break pad, and test the change in speed and braking system, and based on this information it keeps track of road surface, i.e. static friction coefficient, and decides how much traction force the road can handle, and it does not let you apply brake in full capacity. So what? Car skids if you apply brake or car will keep moving ahead without deccelerating the car's mostion? Then, what? If you don't have enough margin: space between yourself and the car in front of you, then you will hit the car in your front or car will not steer and keep going ahead: Think if you are in a left turning car? or in inside lane in right turning curve or vice versa. You are inviting a disaster. Last year, my car just kept rotating on a slope for 360 near my house, no one was there on road. It was fun because no one else was there. I knew that road does not have enough static friction, I applied full brake, the car's tires were simply smooth enough to skid. The momentum of car simply let the car rotate because slope was too steep. Same thing happened this December, and I left car at someone's parking lot and returned home walking. Last May, I was driving on a rural road, I did not notice the 15 MPH curve on 35MPH road, and my car's tire were very smooth, and when I applied the brake to reduce the speed, My car had 180 turn i.e. U turn on the other lane. Thanks god, there was no one on the other lane. All these things happened to me, not because I was not careful, not because I was not an experienced driver, but it happened either because the road was not for my car, or because I was new on the road. I can imagine what would happen to those just landed young Nepalis who get driving license in a couple of hours of training. They think that the test while getting driving license is enough proof of knowing the extremities that you might face in future. Lets not forget that driving test is like wearing underwears and calling a dressed. Wearing an underwear is legally dressed, but you are not fit for going to a party, and in the same way, getting a license is  just enough on regular road, not enough for extreme situations particularly in snow covered roads / highways. Best option is to avoid letting it skid, and it can be done only via:

1. good tire

2. low speed

3. low acceleration

4. enough distance between your car and car infront of you. Think of stopping distance: use 4 second rule in snow (twice the 2 second rule in dry day). Don't go for bumper to bumper driving.

5. Seat belts. Who suffers from not clicking the seat belt, its you. Don't think that seat belt is for new drivers. A young bhai around me, knows the pain of riding his own car on backside passenger seat while his friend drove and hit another person's car, and the owner hit his chin on his own car. One Nepali who was riding me car for shopping, was surprised over my request to click seat belt, and she asked me ARE U a new driver, if not then why are you asking me to fasten seatbelt while I am on rear seat. She was not happy. Don't make it a pride, seat belt is last item that can save you. A person I came to knew recently was thrown out of car because she did not fasten seat belt, and died instantly.

6. DUI: is a crime. don't pretend that you can avoid accident and avoid police.

7. Side talk. Cell Phone. Loud Music. Distraction: beautiful / sexy girl or handsome man or some event or some other accident on road can also lead an accident. 

8. Foggy day

9. Speeding. Design speeds are set considering road surface, and curves. Overspeeding can result skidding of your car when you want to stop it.

10. Under stress. If you are in hurry, take enough time before begin your travel. Take rest. Don't drive more than 4 hours in one seating. Take 1 hour rest in every 4 hours. Not more than 10 hours driving. In night, avoid long driving. You might sleep. I heard such stories.

GP

RIP

GP,

You really presented a nice information about driving safety. Do not risk your life and it is precious.Follow the rules and ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SEAT BELTS.

DEPARTED SOUL REST IN PEACE, GOD GIVE STRENGTH TO THE FAMILY MEMBERS TO COPE WITH THIS TRAGEDY.

My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.

RIP

It is heartbreaking to hear such a story. My condolences goes out to both of their families. I would not advise anybody to drive in the snow during late hours. I'm sure they had very little experience driving in the snow.  We have to be more careful. We recently had a snow storm and even a slight mistake can lead to a fatal crash on the freeway. Icy conditions are unpredictable, and a hint of black ice is enough to spin a car out of control. Please be safe.

My heartfelt condolences to the departed and her family. Please drive safe and do not overspeed. It is even riskier for those in the Northern States where the roads go really bad and unpredictable at this time of the year. Take care....

I would like to express my deepest condolences to the departed soul and the bereaved family.