Four elderly Indian-origin individuals, missing for nearly a week during a road trip from New York to West Virginia, were discovered deceased in a car accident, authorities confirmed. The group, identified as Dr. Kishore Divan (89), Asha Divan (85), Shailesh Divan (86), and Gita Divan (84), was last seen on July 29 at a Burger King on Peach Street in Erie, Pennsylvania.
The family was traveling in a light green Toyota Camry with a New York license plate (EKW2611) en route to Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold, a well-known spiritual site in Marshall County, West Virginia, established by disciples of ISKCON founder Swami Prabhupada. Surveillance footage captured two family members entering the Burger King, and their final credit card transaction was recorded at the same location. A Pennsylvania State Police license plate reader later detected their vehicle heading south on Interstate 79 at approximately 2:45 p.m. that day.
The group had planned to stay at the Palace of Gold on the night of July 29 but never arrived at their pre-booked accommodation, raising concerns. Local authorities noted that the family’s cell phones became unresponsive after July 29, with cell tower data last detecting signals around 3 a.m. on July 30 in the Moundsville area. A multi-agency search was launched, involving deputies from Marshall and Ohio counties, with details of the vehicle entered into the National Crime Information Center. The Council of Heritage and Arts of India (CHAI), a nonprofit based in Williamsville, New York, also assisted in efforts to locate the missing individuals.
Tragically, on August 2, the family’s vehicle was found off a steep embankment along Big Wheeling Creek Road in Marshall County, just five miles from their intended destination. First responders spent over five hours at the scene. Marshall County Sheriff Mike Dougherty confirmed the deaths, extending condolences to the family. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, with further details expected upon completion of the inquiry.
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