DES PERES, MO -
An off-duty suburban St. Louis police officer might have been drinking before a crash early Saturday that killed four people, investigators said. The officer was identified as 41-year-old Chrissy L. Miller, a 12-year veteran of the police department in Sunset Hills. Miller was driving in the wrong lane in the town of Des Peres when her 2001 Mitsubishi struck a 1999 Honda with five people inside, said Sgt. Al Nothum of the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Everyone in the Honda except the driver was killed instantly, investigators said. Three of the victims were from Charleston, Ill.: Anusha Anumolu, 23, Anita Lakshmi, 23, and Prya Muppvarapu, 22. The other victim, Satya Chinta, 25, was from Aurora, Ill.
The Honda driver, Nitesh Adusumilli, 27, of Ballwin, Mo., was hospitalized in fair condition at St. John's Mercy Medical Center in St. Louis County.
Miller had surgery Saturday and was in critical condition at St. John's.
Nothum would not say why authorities suspect Miller had been drinking.
Sunset Hills Police Chief William LaGrand said drinking and driving would be out of character for Miller, a single mother with one son.
"This is a real tragedy and our sympathy goes out to the families of those who did not survive as well as those who did," LaGrand said.
The deadly accident in Des Peres has touched families half way around the world. The five persons in the 1999 Honda who were struck by a car driven by an off duty police officer Saturday morning are all natives of India. Now some of their countrymen who live in St. Louis are trying to navigate U.S. medical privacy rules as they reach out to the victims' relatives in both India and the U.S.
Three women college students described as roommates at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, IL were killed along with the male cousin of one of the women. He was from Aurora, IL in the Chicago area. The four were visiting 27 year old Nitesh Adusumilli, a data base administrator for AMDOCS in west St. Louis County. He was the lone survivor and as of 10pm Saturday was listed in critical condition at St. John's Mercy in Creve Coeur.
Suren Pathuri, president of a local Indian cultural group, the Telugu Association of St. Louis, said he understood Adusumilli was recently engaged to one of the women, Anita Lakshmi, age 23. Also killed were her roommates Anusha Anumolu, age 23 and Priya Muppavarapu, age 22. Lakshmi's cousin Satya Chinta, age 25 also died at the accident scene.
The five were returning to Ballwin after an evening of dinner and bowling.
Relatives who live in the midwest were expected to drive to St. Louis. Pathuri said he expected as many as fifty people including fellow students from Eastern Illinois to head to St. Louis. "What we're trying to do now is provide accommodation to friends and relatives and help get the bodies sent to India," he said.
Everyone in the Honda except the driver was killed instantly, investigators said. Three of the victims were from Charleston, Ill.: Anusha Anumolu, 23, Anita Lakshmi, 23, and Prya Muppvarapu, 22. The other victim, Satya Chinta, 25, was from Aurora, Ill.
The Honda driver, Nitesh Adusumilli, 27, of Ballwin, Mo., was hospitalized in fair condition at St. John's Mercy Medical Center in St. Louis County.
Miller had surgery Saturday and was in critical condition at St. John's.
Nothum would not say why authorities suspect Miller had been drinking.
Sunset Hills Police Chief William LaGrand said drinking and driving would be out of character for Miller, a single mother with one son.
"This is a real tragedy and our sympathy goes out to the families of those who did not survive as well as those who did," LaGrand said.
The deadly accident in Des Peres has touched families half way around the world. The five persons in the 1999 Honda who were struck by a car driven by an off duty police officer Saturday morning are all natives of India. Now some of their countrymen who live in St. Louis are trying to navigate U.S. medical privacy rules as they reach out to the victims' relatives in both India and the U.S.
Three women college students described as roommates at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, IL were killed along with the male cousin of one of the women. He was from Aurora, IL in the Chicago area. The four were visiting 27 year old Nitesh Adusumilli, a data base administrator for AMDOCS in west St. Louis County. He was the lone survivor and as of 10pm Saturday was listed in critical condition at St. John's Mercy in Creve Coeur.
Suren Pathuri, president of a local Indian cultural group, the Telugu Association of St. Louis, said he understood Adusumilli was recently engaged to one of the women, Anita Lakshmi, age 23. Also killed were her roommates Anusha Anumolu, age 23 and Priya Muppavarapu, age 22. Lakshmi's cousin Satya Chinta, age 25 also died at the accident scene.
The five were returning to Ballwin after an evening of dinner and bowling.
Relatives who live in the midwest were expected to drive to St. Louis. Pathuri said he expected as many as fifty people including fellow students from Eastern Illinois to head to St. Louis. "What we're trying to do now is provide accommodation to friends and relatives and help get the bodies sent to India," he said.
