A 28-year-old man’s Shivratri celebrations turned deadly when he, allegedly under the influence of bhang, crashed his speeding car into a cyclist and an e-rickshaw on the Sector 5-8 dividing road on Sunday, killing three people and leaving several others grievously injured.
According to police, the driver had been celebrating Shivratri with friends and was returning when he ploughed his car into the two vehicles. The impact killed a woman riding the bicycle on the spot, Sushila, 35, along with the e-rickshaw driver, Raju, 40, and one of its passengers, Mamta, 50.
The out-of-control Maruti Suzuki SX4 then veered into oncoming traffic and collided head-on with a Maruti Suzuki Baleno and a Toyota Innova coming from the opposite direction, turning the stretch into a scene of broken glass, twisted metal and bodies lying on the asphalt.
The SX4 driver, Rahul, a resident of Kishangarh, was apprehended and taken to the Sector-3 police station.
Speaking to reporters in the presence of police personnel, he revealed that he had consumed bhang during celebrations at Jayanti Devi temple in Punjab before returning with friends. After dropping them off in Nayagaon, he was heading home to Kishangarh.
“An e-rickshaw came out of nowhere. I blew the horn and then everything went black,” he said, adding he rear-ended the e-rickshaw.
Rahul admitted that although he didn’t clearly remember the incident, his car ended up on the roadside berm. He acknowleged that he should have stayed back with his friends, as he had consumed marijuana.
Police said the speeding sedan, coming from the Nayagaon side, rammed the e-rickshaw and a cyclist from behind at the intersection. The impact instantly killed a woman and left multiple passengers sprawled on the road.
Police arrived at the scene and rushed the victims to different hospitals.
Sushila, a resident of Kaimbwala, succumbed to her injuries at GMSH, Sector 16, where her husband, Hanuman, who was riding the cycle, continues to battle for life.
The e-rickshaw driver, also a Kaimbwala resident, died during treatment at GMCH, Sector 32, while the female passenger was declared brought dead at PGIMER. Another female passenger of the e-rickshaw also sustained injuries and is undergoing treatment at a hospital.
By night, corridors of hospitals and police stations filled with weeping relatives, clutching photographs and calling out names. The chaos was compounded by the number of casualties.
Families shuttled between hospitals, scanning stretchers and mortuaries, hoping for a miracle and dreading confirmation.
“I don’t know where my sister is. They said check the Sector-16 hospital, then PGIMER,” sobbed a man outside the emergency ward. Another family member said, “We keep getting sent from one place to another. No one is telling us clearly who is alive and who is not.”
Among the deceased victims Mamta, who worked as a cook in Sector 8, had left for home in Kaimbwala around 4 pm after work.
When she did not reach home, her family began searching for her. Later, her son was advised by the police to visit GMSH-16 and PGIMER to check for any information as there had been an accident. The son identified his mother’s body at PGIMER through her clothes.
Police said reckless driving under the influence appeared to be a key factor. Investigation is underway, and a case will be registered after verifying the details.
Biker falls after being hit by truck, run over by car
In another road mishap, a 20-year-old motorcyclist, who was hit by a reversing truck and a speeding car near the Industrial Area, died after fighting for life for five days.
The victim, Bablu, a worker at a needle factory in Industrial Area, Phase 1, was injured in the accident on February 9. He remained under treatment at Government Medical College and Hospital, where he succumbed on February 14.
According to the statement of his younger brother, Ravi Shankar, Bablu was riding his motorcycle towards his workplace when, near Plot No 141-142, a truck (RJ09GE-8414) reversed without blowing a horn or using a conductor. The truck struck Bablu’s motorcycle, causing him to fall on the road.
At the same time, a car (CH01BP-7674), allegedly being driven at high speed and negligently, hit him, leaving him trapped under the vehicle. The car driver stopped and, with the help of passers-by, pulled Bablu out and rushed him to the hospital.
Police said the victim narrated the sequence of events to his brother before being shifted to the ICU. On the basis of the statement, a case under Sections 281 (rash driving) and 106 (1) (causing death by negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was registered against the unknown driver of the truck and the car driver. Efforts are on to verify the vehicles involved and fix responsibility for the accident.
www.hindustantimes.com
#Shivratri #celebrations #turn #fatal #Chandigarh3 #dead #speeding #car #ploughs #erickshaw #cycle
