Four Elderly Indian-Americans Found Dead After Car Plunges Off Road in West Virginia

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Four elderly members of an Indian-American family from New York, who had been reported missing during a road trip to a spiritual destination in West Virginia, were found dead after their car was discovered at the bottom of a steep embankment in Marshall County. Authorities confirmed the discovery late Saturday evening.

Marshal County Sheriff Mike Dougherty stated that the vehicle and the victims were located around 9:30 pm local time on August 2. The car, a 2009 lime green Toyota Camry with a New York license plate EKW2611, had crashed off Big Wheeling Creek Road. The four passengers were pronounced dead at the scene.

The victims were identified as Dr. Kishore Divan (89), Mrs. Asha Divan (85), Mr. Shailesh Divan (86), and Mrs. Gita Divan (84).. The group had left Buffalo, New York, with the intention of visiting Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold in Moundsville, WV — a known spiritual site for followers of the Hare Krishna movement.

The family was last spotted on July 29 at a Burger King restaurant in Pennsylvania, where CCTV footage showed two of them entering the establishment. The last traceable credit card activity also occurred at that location. Their car was later picked up by a license plate reader operated by the Pennsylvania State Police, indicating they were heading south on Interstate 79.

Sheriff Dougherty, in an official post on Facebook, confirmed the tragic outcome. “Marshal County Sheriff Mike Dougherty has confirmed that the four individuals who were reported missing from Buffalo, New York, have been found deceased following a vehicle crash. The victims have been identified as Dr. Kishore Divan, Mrs. Asha Divan, Mr. Shailesh Divan, and Mrs. Gita Divan,” the statement read.

Emergency personnel remained on the scene for over five hours, working to recover the vehicle and assess the crash site. Investigators have yet to release details regarding how or why the car left the roadway, but further information is expected once the investigation concludes.

Before the discovery, law enforcement officials from both Marshall and Ohio counties in West Virginia had coordinated efforts to search the surrounding region. The missing persons report had been formally filed in Buffalo, and the vehicle’s details were entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), a centralized database used by U.S. law enforcement agencies to track missing individuals and stolen property.

Community groups, including the Council of Heritage and Arts of India (CHAI), based in Williamsville, New York, had also joined in the effort to locate the family. The incident has left the local Indian-American community and many in Buffalo shocked and grieving. The victims were reportedly well-known in their area, and their journey to a religious site had been intended as a peaceful and spiritual retreat.

Sheriff Dougherty offered condolences to the family and friends of the victims and assured them that more details would be provided once the ongoing investigation is complete.