Delhi: 18-year-old killed after motorcycle hit by crane in Vivek Vihar

New Delhi: An 18-year-old student, riding his brother’s motorcycle, was killed after his vehicle was rammed by a crane allegedly being driven against the traffic

New Delhi: An 18-year-old student, riding his brother’s motorcycle, was killed after his vehicle was rammed by a crane allegedly being driven against the traffic on the road near east Delhi’s Vivek Vihar police station Wednesday night, the police said.

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The crane, a police investigator privy to the probe said, was allegedly being operated by a contractor on the behalf of the municipal corporation for picking up garbage. “The crane driver was taking it away at the end of the day when the accident took place,” said the investigator, requesting anonymity.

The teenager, Akshat Gaur, had given his class 12 examinations earlier this year and had recently acquired a learner’s licence, said this uncle, Manoj Gaur.

He said Akshat lived with his mother and older brother in Krishna Nagar. His father works in the finance department of a prominent hotel in Myanmar.

The investigator cited above said the mishap took place around 9.40pm on Wednesday when Akshat left his home to get his older brother’s Duke motorcycle refuelled.

“The accident took place just a few metres from the police station’s main gate. When we got to know of the accident, we rushed to the spot only to find the teenager lying unconscious on the road while the mangled remains of this red and black motorcycle lay near him,” said the investigator.

Nearby, the crane driver, 33-year-old Ram Pukar Shah, was surrounded by the public. “His crane stood against the traffic, making it clear that he was driving on the wrong side of the road,” said the officer cited above.

Akshat was rushed to GTB Hospital in a police vehicle, but he was declared brought dead. His learner’s license in his wallet helped the police ascertain his identity.

“My nephew was excited when he got his learner’s licence. Recently, he had told me that his driver’s licence was due, but that he wouldn’t be able to get it due to the lockdown,” said his uncle.

Manoj alleged that not only was the stretch of road, where the accident took place, poorly lit, even the crane driver hadn’t switched on his headlights.

While the investigator mentioned earlier confirmed that streetlights at the spot were indeed dysfunctional, he said it was a matter of probe whether the driver was using the crane’s headlights as claimed by Manoj, as there were no eyewitnesses to the accident.

“We are checking CCTV footage from the area to verify the allegations of the crane not using its headlights. While we know that the crane was moving against the traffic, footage will further help establish that,” said the investigator.

None of the two people involved in the accident were inebriated, the investigator added.

After the fatal hit, the driver made no attempts to escape. “He told us that he didn’t see any point in escaping with such a large vehicle,” the investigator said. Shah has been arrested after being booked under relevant IPC sections for death due to negligence.

In 2018, there were at least 460 accidents in the national Capital due to driving on the wrong side of the road. A total of 69 people were killed and 483 were injured in such accidents.