Family, friends and patients of a Tunbridge Wells dentist who died in a road accident raised more than £7,000 in his memory in a matter of hours
Subhash Pai, 38, died when his black Audi Q7 struck the central barrier on the A21. He was driving along the Pembury bypass towards his dental practice in St Leonards-on-sea during heavy rain that broke last month’s heat wave.
Emergency services, including police, firefighters, paramedics and an air ambulance, were called but Dr Pai was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police say an investigation has been launched by the Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU) and officers are appealing for any witnesses to the collision.
The father-of-one worked as a dentist at Chapel Park Dentistry where he had practiced for more than 11 years.
Last week, the practice broke the news to their patients on their Facebook page.
They said in a statement: “It is with the deepest sadness we inform our patients of the passing of Dr Subhash Pai.
“Subhash was a friend and everyone you speak to who met him will tell you of what a gentle and caring person he was.
“He truly impacted the lives of so many and it is hard to describe what a loss this is not only for his family but for the whole community.
“He was a kind, supportive and a genuine person and we are proud that we had the privilege of knowing him and being a part of his life.”
They continued: “He was our colleague, our friend and our family and he will be so truly missed. There are no words to describe this loss, he truly touched the hearts of everyone he met, and we know how much every one of you will miss him also.”
Relative, Ananth Pai, set up an online fundraising page in memory of Dr Pai with the money going towards helping support the dentist’s wife and four-year-old daughter.
It reads: “A hardworking dentist residing in Tunbridge Wells, Subhash was en-route to his practice, when he met with a fatal accident on the A21 near Tunbridge Wells.
“The horrifying accident occurred along the Pembury bypass, when his car collided with the roadside fencing.”
It continued: “Subhash’s wife – a non-working, full-time mother of a little girl – now faces the daunting task of arranging the funeral and transporting the body to India for his family to participate in the last rites.
“Her financial safety net was her husband, and now with this irreplaceable void in her life, she must shoulder the responsibility of taking care of herself and also their daughter’s education and upbringing.
“We are hoping to raise £4000 to help with funeral arrangements and to ease Subhash’s wife and daughter to start life afresh. Every little helps.”
That target was met when generous patients, friends and colleague raised more than £7,000 within hours of the GoFundMe page going live.
