- Friday, April 26, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
An Indian-American data analyst was dead on the spot after a bus hit him at the Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts, where he had gone to receive a friend, a media report said.
Forty-seven-year-old Vishwachand Kolla, who originally hailed from the south-eastern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, worked for Takeda Pharmaceutical Company.
The incident happened on March 28 when he went to the airport to pick a visiting musician, the report added.
According to Massachusetts State Police, Kolla was at the lower level of Terminal B to receive his friend when he was hit by the vehicle around 5 pm local time.
“Kolla was standing on the driver’s side of his Acura SUV while, simultaneously, the Dartmouth transportation motor coach was travelling on the roadway. The investigation indicates that the middle of the bus made contact with Kolla and dragged him along the driver’s side of his SUV,” State police spokesman Dave Procopio said in a statement.
An off-duty nurse rushed to help the professional but he succumbed to his injuries, the report added.
The driver of the bus — a 54-year-old woman — was interviewed but was not charged initially, the report said.
Passengers of the bus were quickly moved away to another part of the airport.
Dartmouth Coach transportation service condoled Kolla’s death saying in a statement, “Our deepest sympathies are with everyone impacted by this evening’s incident at Logan Airport. We’re working in conjunction with the Massachusetts State Police and Massport to gather further information.”
Takeda industries told Boston.com in an email that they are “deeply saddened to learn of his unexpected passing”, the Press Trust of India reported.
“We send our heartfelt condolences to Vishwachand’s family, friends and loved ones during this difficult time and will be looking at how we can help offer any support as we respect the family’s privacy during this time,” they wrote.
Kolla’s relatives have set up a gofundme page $406,151 raised of $750,000 goal.
Kolla is survived by his wife and two sons, according to the page.
(With PTI inputs)
