The Arizona Department of Public Safety has identified the four people who died in a crash Sunday, Sept. 18, at the Interstate 17 intersection at State Route 179 exit near milepost 298, southeast of the Village of Oak Creek.
Brother Athish Nagarajan, 24, and Dhinesh Nagarajan, 23, were both Tempe residents and graduates of Arizona State University. Athish Nagarajan worked for Lucid Motors while Dhinesh Nagarajan worked for Arc X as a regional sales manager.
Their parents, Gnanappan Nagarajan, 53, Vijaya Lakshmi-Gopal, 45, were reportedly visiting from Coimbatore, in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, India, and the brothers were reportedly showing their parents around the area.
The driver of a tractor-trailer carrying glass reportedly told DPS troopers that his brakes had failed around 2:18 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18.
The semi-truck driver the exited Interstate 17 southbound at the State Route 179 exit but was unable to stop at the stop sign and crashed into the Nagarajans’ car heading northbound on State Route 179, according to a DPS.
Both vehicles went off the roadway down an embankment. The tractor-trailer reportedly landed on top of the car, trapping the passengers. A fire ignited and both vehicles were engulfed in flames. The driver of the tractor-trailer reportedly escaped uninjured.
Attempts to identify the victims were made difficult by the intensity of the fire.
Impairment reportedly didn’t play a part in the crash, DPS officials stated.
Family members are seeking emergency visas and the Consulate General of India in San Francisco is in touch with Arizona officials regarding the incident, according to its Twitter feed.
Dhinesh Nagarajan earned his bachelor’s degree in Applied Math and his masters in business analytics from ASU. He graduated in May 2021.
An aspiring singer and musician, on Twitter he described himself as a “music producer that loves performing.”
Athish Nagarajan worked as a global supply manager with lucid Motors. He earned a BSE from ASU in industrial engineering and graduated in December 2020.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety concluded its investigation in July 2023 and released a final report on the collision, providing a copy to Larson Newspapers on July 11.
