A9 crash: Tributes paid to man, 20, killed in crash who came to Scotland with 'dreams of a better future'

His loved ones say Keshav was the “main hope” for his family.

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

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.

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It is understood no one else was injured.

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GoFundMe

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

A post on a GoFundMe page, which has raised over £3,000 for his family, read: “With heavy hearts, we are raising funds to support the family of a 20-year-old young man from India who tragically lost his life while working in Scotland.

“He came to the UK with dreams of building a better future and supporting his family back home.

“On Friday, 16 January 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.

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GoFundMe

“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.”

Enquiries remain ongoing to establish full circumstances of crash

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 donate to the fundraiser here.

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