A week-long search for four Indian-origin senior citizens missing on a road trip from Buffalo, New York, to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has ended in tragedy.
The family — Asha Divan, Kishore Divan, Shailesh Divan, and Gita Divan — was last seen on July 29, 2025, at around 2:45 PM at a Burger King restaurant on Peach Street in Erie, Pennsylvania, as captured by restaurant surveillance footage.
They were traveling in a light green 2009 Toyota Camry with New York license plate EKW2611, and planned to continue on to Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold in Moundsville, West Virginia, where they had prepaid lodging for the night.
Search efforts and discovery
After their last known credit card transaction at the Burger King, the family’s car was picked up by a Pennsylvania State Trooper’s License Plate Reader on I-79, confirming the direction of their travel.
However, they never arrived at their intended destination and stopped responding to phone calls. Cell tower activity placed their devices briefly in the Moundsville and Wheeling areas around 3:00 AM on July 30, but no further contact was established.
Following several days of coordinated search operations involving multiple law enforcement agencies, authorities located the missing Camry on the night of August 2, 2025.
The vehicle was found off a steep embankment along Big Wheeling Creek Road in Marshall County, West Virginia, which is less than five miles from their intended spiritual retreat. First responders were on the scene for over five hours and confirmed that all four family members had died in the crash.
Investigation and circumstances
Initial reports indicate that the group never checked in at their reservation, and evidence from the steep embankment suggests the car veered off the road in an apparent accident.
Authorities have not yet released full details regarding the circumstances or cause of the crash but stated that a comprehensive investigation is underway. Sheriff Mike Dougherty of Marshall County has extended condolences to the families and the broader community affected by this sudden tragedy.
Community response and public appeal
The incident has sent shockwaves through the Indian-American community and beyond, especially as the victims included respected senior citizens undertaking a spiritual pilgrimage. Law enforcement agencies had circulated missing persons posters, released photos, and appealed to the public for tips throughout the week. The outcome has brought somber closure after hope was kept alive for days during the search.
To summarize, all four members of the Divan family — Asha, Kishore, Shailesh, and Gita — were found deceased following a car accident discovered on August 2, ending a days-long search that began after they vanished en route to West Virginia.
The investigation into the precise causes of the accident continues, and officials are expected to provide further information once the findings are complete. The families, local authorities, and the community are mourning the profound loss after a journey that ended just short of its peaceful destination.
The Gifford fire in the central region has grown into the largest wildfire in the state so far this yearGetty Images
