NRI Student involved in crashing fellow NRI teenager to death
in Car racing

NRI student, Sukhneet Singh Virk, 18, from Seattle has been accused of causing the death of his NRI friend, Rishi Sodhi, 16, in a crash that resulted from an road race. Both Rishi and Sukhneeth were students of Bellevue Community College.

News reports said the families of both the NRIs (Indian-Americans) were devastated following the crash in which Rishi Sodhi died.

Sukhneeth Singh Virk, was put behind bars and freed from jail on a bail of 100,000 dollars.

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Families devastated by crash: Man posts bail in suspected road racing case that ended with best friend's death

Seattle, Jan 17, 2006
Noel S. Brady
Journal Reporter

Two families prominent in the Eastside Hindu and Sikh communities have been devastated by a fiery crash that killed a 16-year-old boy and landed his best friend behind bars in what police say was a case of road racing.

Relatives and friends of 18-year-old Sukhneet Singh Virk packed a Seattle courtroom Thursday for the young man's bail hearing.

In a show of support, the family stood as corrections officers ushered Virk before a judge.

The judge informed Virk he was being held on investigation of vehicular homicide and vehicular assault, then set his bail at $100,000, twice the amount prosecutors requested.

By day's end, Virk was released from jail after posting bond.

``He's an excellent kid, a good student,'' Virk's uncle said without giving his name as he left the courtroom.

Similar statements were repeated Thursday by many describing the Bellevue teenager who died Wednesday afternoon in the accident that police say was caused by road racing. Rishi Sodhi, 16, was enrolled in the Running Start program at Bellevue High School and was attending classes at Bellevue Community College, where Virk attended as well.

``He was a very nice kid,'' said Rishi's emotional uncle Tejinder Sodhi, a veterinarian. Rishi maintained a 4.0 grade point average and kept his parents proud.

``He was very family-oriented,'' Tejinder Sodhi said. ``He was a very loving person.''

Rishi was the youngest of two sons of Virender and Rekha Sodhi, both well known for their support of the area's Hindu community. Virender Sodhi is a naturopath and practitioner of Ayurvedic medicine, the 5,000-year-old herb-based medical tradition of India.

Sodhi was the first Ayurvedic and naturopathic physician in the U.S. in 1980, according to his clinic's Web site. He now practices at the Ayurvedic and Naturopathic Medical Clinic located in Bellevue.

In a written statement, the Sodhi family described Rishi as having a warm heart and loving nature.

``He was one of those rare individuals who were able to meet people quickly and befriend them easily,'' the family said. ``He was an extremely bright and articulate young man whose curiosity led him to a vast variety of topics from science, politics, cars and music. He could make a convincing argument for almost any case.''

An entrepreneur at heart, Rishi most recently had been trying to establish his own clothing business, they said. He also hoped to follow his father into his family's naturopathic business.

Virk is the son of Bellevue optometrist Sarbjit Singh Virk, who is prominent in the region's Sikh community.

Everett attorney Gurjit S. Pandher, who is representing Virk, said his client denies the anticipated charges.

``Mr. Virk is a hard-working college student with substantial ties to the community,'' Pandher said. ``He maintains his innocence.''

On Dec. 22, police stopped Virk and cited him for speeding 20 mph over the posted speed limit, court documents state. He also was cited three times in 2004 for traffic violations.

According to court documents, officers responding to the crash shortly after 2 p.m. Wednesday said Virk wept and admitted he had been racing with his friend Sodhi. He said he could've done more to help save his life.

Neil Poussier of Issaquah told police he was driving southbound on Coal Creek Parkway when he saw a black 2006 Toyota Scion leading a red BMW at speeds in excess of 70 mph through the intersection with Forest Drive Southeast. The roadway was wet with rain and posted with a 40 mph speed limit.

The witness said he saw the red car try to pass the black Scion on the right, but the BMW had to jerk back behind the Scion because another car was in the right lane. Poussier and other witnesses said they then saw the driver lose control of the red BMW and hit a maroon Subaru and then a silver Volkswagen Beetle before bursting into flames.

Witnesses tried to rescue Sodhi from the burning BMW, police said, but the flames grew too quickly. They could do nothing. Sodhi was alone in the car.

Virk's Scion was not hit in the accident. He told police that he returned to the scene of the crash after calling 911 on his cell phone, the court documents state. He told police that he saw the accident in his rear-view mirror.

When an officer asked if he had been racing the BMW, court documents state, Virk said ``Yes.'' Then he asked if his friend was dead.

The driver of the silver Volkswagen, 38-year-old Glen Q. Dea of Renton, is recovering from a fractured forearm and heel, police said. The identity of a 75-year-old woman driving the Subaru was not available Thursday, however police said her injuries were moderate.

``If the collision is attributed to road racing, this would be the first such fatality (in Bellevue) in well over 20 years,'' said Bellevue police spokesman Michael Chiu.