Abhishek Singh Killed In An Accident in Ohio

UPDATE (August 22, 2007) : Just found out that our worst thoughts have come true. Abhishek Singh, referred to the article below, is indeed the one we'd known as "Scientist" in our college. Just came across this article on Tribune India. There is also a photo published alongside.

Foreign student killed in accident

Christa Gould / For The Post / cg320004@ohiou.edu

Abhishek Singh, an Ohio University student from India working on his doctorate in physics and astronomy, was killed Saturday night after he apparently was hit in a two-vehicle accident and thrown into the Hocking River. He was 22.

Singh was born in Faizabad in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India on July 7, 1984.

His parents are Amarendra and Indu Singh.

He had been studying at Ohio University since fall of 2006. Before coming to Ohio University, Singh studied at the National Institute of Technology in Jamsehdpur in the state of Jharkhand in India. He earned a degree in electrical engineering.

“He was always very enthusiastic, probably one of the most enthusiastic students I knew,” said Ken Hicks, professor in physics and astronomy and advisor for Singh’s summer research project. “He really wanted to make some discovery or some contribution to the world through physics.”

One of his roommates, Sunny Mishra, said that Singh’s aim was “to serve India after getting his degree.”

Singh was also a member of the Indian Students Association at OU.“He used to go out in the morning [to study and do research] and come back late at night,” said Santosh Vijapur, the association’s treasurer.

Singh placed third in the Microsoft Imagine Cup prize in 2005 for his work in computer programming and received $3,000. He was also awarded about $5,000 from Texas Instruments in 2004.

Although he did not accept the position, Singh was selected to be a scientist in the Defense Research and Development Organization for the government of India, Mishra said.

Singh’s body will be returned to his family in India for burial, said George Mauzy, spokesman for the university. The university will later hold a memorial service for Singh.

Singh was killed Saturday when an SUV allegedly careened across the Richland Avenue bridge, hit him and sent him into the river.

The SUV was part of a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of Richland Avenue and State Route 682 that happened around 11:20 p.m. on Saturday, Lt. Randy Gray of the Athens Police Department, said.

Police found the body of Singh, a 22-year-old graduate student from India—nearly 14 hours after the accident—in the Hocking River on Sunday at about 3:25 p.m.

Police officers were at the accident scene on Saturday night, but the drivers did not report that a pedestrian had been hit, Gray said.

“No one had any idea [a pedestrian had been hit] until after we found the body,” he added.

On Sunday, however, people on the bike path along the Hocking River noticed what resembled a body in the river and notified the OU Police Department, who later contacted the Athens Police Department, Gray said.

The initial accident occurred when April Hankinson, 26, of Athens, ran the red light at State Route 682 while traveling northbound on Richland Avenue in her Ford Explorer, Gray said.

Hankinson’s vehicle was hit by a Subaru LGX compact traveling eastbound on Route 682, Gray said. The eastbound vehicle’s driver was Naomi Bell, 45, of Ravenswood, W.Va. Hankinson’s car careened into Singh, knocking him off the bridge, Gray said.

Hankinson and Bell were taken to O’Bleness Memorial Hospital, 55 Hospital Drive, for minor injuries and were released, Gray said.

Police have a blood sample from Hankinson and will determine if she had alcohol in her blood, Gray said. He did not say if alcohol was a factor in the crash.

Once the crash’s investigation is complete, the prosecutor’s office will review the evidence and decide if charges will be filed, Gray said.

(Copied from The Post Online. You can also read about it on Ohio University Outlook.)

I am cent percent sure that this genius doesn't need any introduction to even one member of the TopFloor. Abhishek Singh, or "Scientist" as we'd called him, had such an unfortunate demise in Ohio. And to add to the tragedy, those bastards threw him off into a nearby river. Oh boy, I can still remember that train journey with him, to Mumbai, so fucking vividly! The way he smiled, the way he used to wrinkle his nose every time I said "Fuck!", those innumerable times that I borrowed his bike,, that very characteristic look of his, the way we used to make fun of him 'coz he'd always wear white collared shirt and black trousers. All of them are just hitting me like a gush of wind! This post was definitely not meant to be an obituary. I donno what an obituary should be like, I donno how to even write one. It's just the immediate reaction of knowing the news. I just might write more about it in future. As for now, I need time for the news to sink in.