Three Atlantans — a 2009 Georgia Tech graduate and his parents — were killed in a car crash Saturday morning in the Smoky Mountain town of Sevierville, Tenn., according to information obtained from newspaper reports, social media and the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
Ashish Dembla and his parents, Satpal Dembla and Anjali Dembla, were all killed when the Honda Civic Ashish Dembla was driving was struck by a Ford Ranger that had swerved into their lane.
A fourth passenger in the Honda, Ashish's sister, Kanita Dembla, was flown to UT Medical Center in Knoxville, the Mountain Press of Sevier County, Tenn. reported. The paper also reported that Kanita Dembla suffered major head trauma and is in critical condition.
The driver of the Ford Ranger, Shawn R. Dunlap of Maryville, Tenn., was also taken to UT Medical Center. He has moderate injuries and is in stable condition, the Mountain Press reported.
Ashish Dembla's Facebook page indicates he graduated from Georgia Tech in 2009 and worked as a graduate research assistant at the Marcus Nanotechnology Research Center.
He said on his page that he was from Delhi, India, and that, in addition to his degree from Georgia Tech, he also held one from the Indian Institute of Technology on Georgia Tech's campus.
The Mountain Press reported that the Demblas were recently vacationing in Pigeon Forge, not far from where the accident occurred.
Charges against Dunlap are pending, according to the Mountain Press, which also reported that investigators found no evidence of drugs or alcohol at the scene and that both vehicles were traveling between 45 and 50 miles per hour when the accident occurred. The paper reported that Dunlap admitted to the highway patrol that he may have fallen asleep at the wheel.
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