Published Aug 09, 2026 | 7:36 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 09, 2026 | 8:14 PM
PG Medical Student Priyanka Kanike
Synopsis: Dr Priyanka Kanike, a postgraduate medical student who was critically injured when an allegedly drunk driver rammed his car into her scooter in Rajahmundry, died at KIMS Hospital in Secunderabad on Sunday, 9 August, nearly a week since the accident. Police said the accused, S Dasvanth, and his associate, Andrew Joseph Edwards, had been turned away from a mall cinema after a breathalyser test showed they were intoxicated, assaulted security staff and then drove into the students’ scooter.
Dr Priyanka Kanike, a postgraduate medical student who was critically injured after an allegedly drunk driver rammed his car into the scooter she was riding on, died at KIMS Hospital in Secunderabad, Telangana, on Sunday, 9 August, a week after the crash. She had been on a ventilator for days.
A first-year Dermatology postgraduate at GSL Medical College in Rajanagaram in Andhra Pradesh’s East Godavari district, Priyanka was a native of Kurnool.
The crash occurred at night when she was leaving Prasaditya Mall on AVA Road, Rajahmundry, in Andhra Pradesh, with fellow student Sai Umesh. Their scooter was struck three times from behind.
Shortly prior to that, the accused, S Dasvanth and his associate Andrew Joseph Edwards, had been turned away from the mall’s cinema after a breathalyser test confirmed that they were intoxicated, according to police.
The two then assaulted security staff before going to the parking lot, where Dasvanth’s car hit the students’ scooter more than once, throwing both riders to the ground.
Both evaded arrest for days before being detained and produced before a court. They were remanded in judicial custody for 14 days.
Priyanka was initially treated at Swantantra Hospital in Rajahmundry and was later shifted to KIMS Hospital.
Doctors declared her brain dead and placed her on a ventilator. In a statement issued on Saturday, 8 August, the hospital said she had been placed on a mechanical ventilator because of a poor Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) response.
A KIMS representative confirmed to South First that Priyanka died on Sunday, contrary to earlier reports that she had died on Saturday.
Earlier on Sunday, Priyanka’s father, Venkatesh, criticised the Andhra Pradesh government over its handling of the case. He questioned why Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and Education Minister Nara Lokesh had not spoken about his daughter’s ordeal or acknowledged the family’s concerns.
“You visit Hyderabad every week. Why couldn’t you inquire about my daughter’s condition?” he asked Lokesh and Pawan Kalyan.
He also questioned whether the State’s laws were doing enough to protect women.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had earlier instructed senior officials to take strict action against the accused and to monitor Priyanka’s health and ensure that she received all necessary medical care.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
