A speeding Audi car ran over five people who were sleeping on the footpath in Vasant Vihar, southwest Delhi, early Wednesday morning. An 8-year-old girl is among the injured, and she, along with another victim, is in critical condition.
The driver, identified as 40-year-old Utsav Shekhar from Dwarka, has been arrested. Police said he was drunk at the time of the accident and was returning home from Noida.
The victims, all daily-wage workers from Rajasthan, were sleeping near the Munirka flyover in the Shiva Camp area. They have been identified as:
- Ladhi (40)
- Bimla (8)
- Sabami alias Chirama (45)
- Narayani (35)
- Ramchandra (45)
According to police, the accident happened around 1:30 am. The driver lost control of his car, which ran over the victims and then crashed into a parked truck.
People nearby rushed out after hearing cries and immediately informed the police. Emergency services took all five victims to a hospital, where they are being treated.
The driver was caught soon after the incident. A police patrol team stopped him after his car hit the parked truck. When they checked the car’s number plate, they confirmed it was the same one involved in the earlier accident.
He has been charged with rash and negligent driving that caused injuries.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Amit Goel confirmed the driver was under the influence of alcohol. He added that the victims do small jobs to survive, and apart from the child, the other four are two couples.
Also See: Samruddhi Expressway: 4 Family Members, Including Businessman, Killed in Road Accident…
This isn’t the first such incident in Delhi. Last year, five people were crushed to death in Shastri Park by a speeding truck. In 2022, two children died and eight others were injured when a luxury car flipped and landed on homeless people sleeping under the Lodhi Road flyover.
