Indian man found dead after car swept away by floods in Kansas, locals saw car falling into water with people inside
Venkatesh Doppalaudi, a 33-year-old man of Indian origin, was found dead hours after he went missing after his car was swept away by floods in Sumner County, Kansas. The incident took place on Saturday and rescue operations began immediately. Although the car was found, the driver was not. The rescue mission did not continue overnight. Venkatesh’s body was found on Sunday after he was reported missing, and local police sought help in locating him.On Sunday, the Summer County Sheriff’s Office said they found the body of the missing driver. Deputies responded to the 600 block of South Oliver Road after receiving a report of a submerged vehicle on the west side of the bridge. A witness told deputies they saw the vehicle submerged in the water and that there were still people inside. The speed and force of the floodwaters prevented the Wellington Fire Department from entering the water. The Kansas Highway Patrol and a police drone assisted in the search for the driver.The victim’s body was found about 1/4 mile downstream of Oliver Road at 12:19 a.m. Sunday.Dopaludi hails from Omaha, Nebraska and is originally from Andhra Pradesh. When he was reported missing, his family in India contacted local leaders.It was unclear why Doparaudi was in Kansas, which is under a severe flash flood warning due to persistent rainfall. However, a friend said his destination was not Kansas. He took a non-tolled route from Houston and was traveling on a local road near Wellington when he was likely to be flooded.
