Tributes paid to man, 20, from India who died in A9 crash involving lorry and van

Tributes have been paid to a man from India who died in a crash on the A9 involving a lorry and a van.

Named by friends and family as Keshav, the 20-year-old died at the scene of the crash near Dalnaspidal, south of Dalwhinnie around 11.50am on Friday, January 16.

The crash involved a white Mercedes Sprinter van and a recovery lorry.

Keshav was a passenger in the van, while the 52-year-old male driver of the van was assessed by ambulance crews for minor injuries. No one else was injured.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to support the family of Keshav. GoFundMe

The A9 was closed for over nine hours while investigations were carried out at the scene.

Keshav was working in Scotland to support his family in India at the time of the crash.

His loved ones say he moved to the UK “with dreams of building a better future” and was the “main hope” for his family.

A post on the GoFundMe read: “On Friday, January 16, 2026, his life was tragically cut short in a road traffic accident on the A9 in Highland Perthshire. He was pronounced dead at the scene. He had no family in the UK.

“At just 20 years old, he was the main hope for his family. He leaves behind two young sisters who depended on him for their education and basic needs.

“His parents are daily labour workers who struggle to meet their expenses and had taken a large loan to send him abroad, believing he would be able to support them and lift the family out of hardship.

“These funds are being raised to provide temporary financial support to his family during this devastating time, to help cover daily living costs, education for his sisters, and ease the burden of debt they now face.

“Every donation, no matter how small, will make a meaningful difference. If you’re unable to donate, please consider sharing this page.

“Thank you for your kindness, compassion, and support during this heartbreaking time.”

Sergeant Mike Guild, of the Tayside Road Policing Unit, said: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the man who has died.

“Our enquiries remain ongoing to establish the full circumstances and I would urge anyone who may have information or dashcam footage from the area to get in touch.

“You can call 101, quoting reference 1282 of January 16.”

You can view the fundraiser here.