Dr Kanike Priyanka Dies at Secunderabad KIMS After Rajahmundry Car Attack
Dr Kanike Priyanka, a 28-year-old post-graduate medical student who sustained severe injuries after being hit by a car driven by alleged drunk youths, passed away on Sunday at KIMS Hospital in Secunderabad. She died at around 3.25 pm after a week-long battle for survival in neurocritical care.
Dr Priyanka hailed from Eklaspuram in Aiza Mandal, located in the Jogulamba Gadwal district of Telangana. She was a second-year MD Dermatology student at GSL Medical College in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh.
The incident took place on the night of August 3 near the Prasaditya Mall multiplex area on AV Apparao Road in Rajahmundry. Dr Priyanka and a friend were leaving the mall on a motorcycle when a car driven by two local youths lightly struck their vehicle.
According to police and eyewitness accounts, when Dr Priyanka questioned the drivers about the collision, the angered occupants intentionally mowed their car into her two-wheeler a second time. The impact threw her onto the pavement, and the vehicle ran over her, inflicting severe head injuries.
The two youths involved in the attack were identified as Souravarapu Daswanth and Andrew Joseph Edwards. Both were allegedly under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. Local police arrested both accused, who were later produced before a court and remanded to 14 days of judicial custody.
Following the collision, Dr Priyanka was initially rushed to a local hospital in Rajahmundry before being transferred to KIMS Hospital in Secunderabad for advanced treatment. Despite continuous efforts by a specialised team of neurocritical care experts over seven days, her condition did not improve.
Her father, Venkatesh, expressed grief over the loss of his daughter and spoke out against the senseless loss caused by drunken driving. The tragedy has sparked public outrage across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, with medical associations and student organisations demanding strict punishment against the accused.