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Teen driving home from birthday bash snuffs out life in Panchkula
Police say the teen was returning from his 18th birthday party with three friends when he rammed his SUV into a bike near Shalimar Chowk in Sector 5, Panchkula
A teenager driving home after celebrating his 18th birthday with beers crashed his SUV into a motorcycle, killing a 25-year-old youth and injuring another near Shalimar Chowk in Sector 5, Panchkula, on Wednesday night.
The SUV driver, Kulraj Singh Neol of Fazilka, was nabbed by onlookers and handed over to the police. As he turned 18 on Wednesday, he does not possess a valid driving licence, said police.
The deceased was identified as Aman Kashyup, who hailed from Agra. His friend Kamal, 24, was also critically injured and is battling for life at PGIMER, Chandigarh.
Police booked Neol on the complaint of three eye witnesses — Divyadeep Walia of Sector 15, a practising advocate at Punjab and Haryana high court; Vipin of Mouli Complex, Chandigarh, and Manoj of Sector 17, Panchkula.
Walia told the police that he was driving his car near Shalimar Chowk around 10.45 pm, when he saw a speeding Mahindra XUV 700 hit a motorcycle from behind. The impact of the collision tossed the two motorcycle riders in the air, before crashing on the road.
He claimed the SUV was moving at a speed no less than 120 km per hour and dragged the UP-registered motorcycle for around 100 metres. The out-of-control vehicle swerved onto the wrong side of the road in front of Shalimar Mall and landed on the divider, before finally coming to a halt.
Walia alleged that the SUV driver tried to flee on foot with three other car occupants, but onlookers caught them and alerted the police.
After being caught, Walia said, the driver revealed he had turned 18 the same day and was returning from his birthday party, where he and his friends had consumed beers.
Neol is facing a case under Sections 279 (rash driving), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 304-A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Truck claims schoolteacher’s life
A speeding truck left a schoolteacher dead near the Chandimandir light point on Thursday morning.
The deceased, Nishi Bhalla, 30, lived in Peer Muchalla, Zirakpur, and was a primary teacher at a private school in Pinjore, said police.
An eyewitness, Devvrat of Pinjore, told the police that he was an advocate and was returning from Sector 21, Panchkula, in an auto-rickshaw. Around 6.30 am, when the auto crossed Chandimandir toll plaza and reached the nearby light point, he saw a truck, bearing a HP registration number, hit a Haryana-registered Honda Grazia scooter.
The collision caused the female scooterist to fall on the road and before she could react, the truck ran over her. The truck driver fled the scene on foot, leaving his vehicle behind.
The injured woman was rushed to the civil hospital in Sector 6, where she was declared dead. The absconding truck driver was booked under Sections 279, 304-A and 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of ₹50) of the IPC at the Chandimandir police station. Police have launched a probe to arrest the driver.
