NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Cleveland, OH, May 13, 2025: Two Indian students from Cleveland State University tragically lost their lives in a car crash on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Lancaster County on the morning of Saturday, May 10, 2025.
The victims have been identified as 23-year-old Saurav Prabhakar and 20-year-old Manav Patel, both residents of Cleveland, Ohio. According to the Lancaster County Coroner’s Office, the crash occurred around 7:51 a.m. near mile marker 286 eastbound in East Cocalico Township.
Emergency responders arrived to find the vehicle engulfed in flames. Prabhakar, who was driving, and Patel, the passenger, were pronounced dead at the scene shortly after 8:30 a.m.
Investigators said the car left the roadway, struck a tree, and then collided with a bridge. Both students lived at the same address on East 13th Street in Cleveland, Ohio.
Their bodies were transported to the Lancaster County Forensic Center for autopsies, which confirmed they died from multiple traumatic injuries. The coroner’s office ruled both deaths accidental.
Originally from India, Prabhakar and Patel were pursuing higher education at Cleveland State University. The university and the broader Indian student community have expressed deep grief over the tragic loss.
Cover photo: Saurav Prabhakar/Facebook.
