70-year-old dies in car crash in NW Delhi; cop’s ‘drunk’ son held

A 70-year-old woman was killed and a family of three, including an eight-year-old girl, were injured when an allegedly drunk 27-year-old man, the son of a police officer, crashed a speeding Mercedes sedan into a hatchback near Narela in northwest Delhi on Saturday morning, police said

A 70-year-old woman was killed and a family of three, including an eight-year-old girl, were injured when an allegedly drunk 27-year-old man, the son of a police officer, crashed a speeding Mercedes sedan into a hatchback near Narela in northwest Delhi on Saturday morning, police said.

Officers at the scene confirmed that beer and empty liquor bottles were recovered from the Mercedes (HT)

While investigators are yet to receive the driver’s medical test results, officers at the scene confirmed that beer and empty liquor bottles were recovered from the Mercedes. Police said the driver was returning from a party.

According to police, the silver Mercedes E-Class was travelling at such high speed that when it struck the grey Maruti WagonR, in which a couple in their 40s was travelling with their daughter, the hatchback was flung away, crushing a woman pedestrian against a parked three-wheeler.

Police identified the Mercedes driver as Shubham Sharma, a resident of Green Valley Apartment in Narela and son of a Haryana Police sub-inspector. Sharma was arrested and booked for rash and negligent driving causing death and injuries. An FIR was registered under Sections 281 and 106 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Narela police station. Officers said they will add relevant sections if medical tests show he was driving under the influence of alcohol.

The couple in the WagonR – Narender and Geeta, both in their 40s – and their eight-year-old daughter sustained minor injuries and were admitted to a hospital. Geeta and her daughter were discharged after preliminary medical attention, while Narender underwent a CT scan to check for internal injuries. He is undergoing treatment at the hospital, and is out of danger, police said.

According to at least two senior police officers, Sharma had “recently purchased” the Mercedes from a friend but had not completed the ownership transfer paperwork. All vehicles involved in the accident were impounded for investigation.

Police identified the woman killed in the crash as Urmila Devi. Her husband, who died in 2019, had retired as an administrative official from the Delhi Transport Department. She is survived by two sons – the elder an under-secretary in the Union ministry of defence and the younger a manager at a mutual fund firm.

Urmila’s family and other passersby alleged that Sharma was “inebriated” and driving recklessly when the crash occurred around 8am. They said a beer bottle and an empty liquor bottle were found in the Mercedes and alleged that Sharma misbehaved when confronted about drunk driving.

“He clearly appeared drunk. I witnessed the accident. My aunt was crushed between two vehicles. She was badly injured. I rushed her to the hospital, where the attending doctors declared her dead,” said Sunil Kumar, who identified himself as Urmila’s nephew.

Additional deputy commissioner of police (outer north) Amit Kaushik confirmed that beer and empty liquor bottles were recovered from the Mercedes, but said Sharma’s medical examination report was awaited to establish whether he was drunk.

“He was on his way back home after partying with his friends through Friday night. He is suspected to be inebriated but we can confirm it only after receiving his medical report. His father is a sub-inspector in the Haryana Police,” added Kaushik.

DCP (outer north) Shobhit D Saxena said a preliminary inquiry showed that the two cars were approaching from opposite directions and collided head-on. The impact flung the WagonR backwards into the three-wheeler, trapping Urmila between the two vehicles.

Kaushik said Urmila had stepped out of her house nearby to feed birds when the crash occurred. Her body was handed over to her family after the autopsy and her last rites were performed in the evening.

Residents and eyewitnesses also alleged that Sharma was speeding. “I was walking in a nearby park when a Mercedes, moving at nearly 100kmph, crashed into another car. The tragedy could have been bigger had it happened on a weekday when children walk to their schools. The Mercedes driver appeared quite drunk,” said Rajbir Singh, an eyewitness.

Urmila’s younger son, Pramod Bhardwaj, said, “My mother was just a few metres away from the house when the accident claimed her life. I am told that police have registered a case following a complaint by the WagonR driver. I will file a separate complaint and ask the police to convert it into an FIR.”