Alameda County, California – A tragic E-bike accident in Hayward last week resulted in the death of a young exchange student from India, who has been identified as 22-year-old Sai Ram Gollapalli.
The Alameda County Coroner’s Office confirmed that Sai Ram Gollapalli, a Hayward resident and computer science student at California State University, East Bay, succumbed to injuries sustained in the collision. Gollapalli was a graduate student who had come to the United States to further his studies.
The fatal accident occurred on Wednesday, May 8, around 4:45 p.m. near the intersection of Mission Boulevard and Orchard Avenue. Initial police reports indicated that Gollapalli was riding a scooter. However, his sister, Shiva Krishna Konduri, clarified that he was actually on an electric bicycle and was on his way to visit her when he was struck by a vehicle.
Shiva Krishna Konduri described her brother as an exemplary young man. “Sai is the perfect brother, friend, and son that everyone wishes to have in their lives,” she wrote on a GoFundMe page created to raise funds to repatriate his body to India. Konduri remembered Gollapalli as hardworking, polite, and charming. In a final act of generosity, Gollapalli’s kidneys were donated to two people in need, according to a subsequent update on the fundraising page.
The driver involved in the accident, a 36-year-old Hayward man, remained at the scene and cooperated with authorities. Police have stated that intoxication is not suspected to have been a factor in the accident. The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with relevant information is urged to contact the Hayward Police Department’s Traffic Bureau at (510) 293-7066.
