A 22-year-old University of Pittsburgh medical student was struck and killed by multiple vehicles on Interstate 80 in Snow Shoe Township last Friday night, and every driver involved fled the scene, leaving state police searching for answers nearly a week later. Anirudh Nangunoori, of Bucks County, died hours before his 23rd birthday.
Pennsylvania State Police identified the victim as Nangunoori, according to WJAC-TV. Troopers and EMS responded after reports of a body in the road, as detailed by StateCollege.com, finding Nangunoori near mile marker 148.8 westbound at about 9:30 p.m. Friday. A crash report released Tuesday morning said he had been outside a vehicle in the area of the right lane of I-80 westbound, though police did not indicate why, as reported by the Centre Daily Times.
A Chaotic, Unresolved Collision
Per the crash report, an unidentified vehicle first struck Nangunoori, throwing him into the roadway, where he was then struck by an unspecified number of additional vehicles. StateCollege.com's crash-report account adds that he came to rest along the left fog line. All of the drivers involved left the scene, police said, and Pennsylvania State Police described the collision as a hit-and-run.
No charges had been filed as of Tuesday, per the same Centre Daily Times report. Investigators at the State Police barracks in Rockview are asking anyone who witnessed the crash or has information to call 814-355-7545.
From ER Technician to Aspiring Physician
Nangunoori was a first-year medical student at Pitt and an aspiring physician, the Centre Daily Times reported. According to Pitt Medicine, he decided to pursue medicine after working as a patient care technician in an emergency room and watching his mother battle breast cancer. He was also a merit scholarship recipient in Pitt's Class of 2030.
His family called his death “an unfathomable loss for everyone who knew and loved him,” describing him as brilliant, caring, and cherished by family and friends, per the Centre Daily Times. His funeral was held Monday in Montgomery County, according to the Huff & Lakjer Funeral Home obituary, which said the service began at 11:30 a.m. at the funeral home.
A Stretch of Highway With a Troubled History
Snow Shoe Township has seen four fatal crashes between 2016 and 2025, including one involving a pedestrian, according to state Department of Transportation statistics cited by the Centre Daily Times. Last year, a 73-year-old was killed while trying to cross the 700 block of East Sycamore Road in the township, struck by a driver accused of driving under the influence, the outlet reported.
For now, the circumstances that put Nangunoori outside his vehicle on the interstate remain unexplained, and the identities of the drivers who struck him and then left remain unknown. State police continue to seek witnesses as the investigation goes on.
