Asleep at wheel, cab driver rams stationary truck in Delhi, killing its driver

The victim, Ram Prakash, was changing a tyre of the truck when he got crushed between the two vehicles

A 38-year-old cab driver fell asleep at the wheel in south Delhi’s Fatehpur Beri area on Tuesday morning and rammed a stationary truck from behind, killing its 35-year-old driver who was changing a tyre at the time of the accident, police officers aware of the case said.

Giving details of the case, investigators said that the police control room received a call at around 5am about a cab meeting with an accident near the Ghitorni Metro station. (Representational Image)

Deputy commissioner of police (south) Chandan Chowdhary said that the victim has been identified as Ram Prakash, a resident of Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh, and the accused has been identified as Gopal Narayan Mishra, a resident of Palam Colony.

Giving details of the case, investigators said that the police control room received a call at around 5am about a cab meeting with an accident near the Ghitorni Metro station. When a police team reached the spot, they found that the cab had hit a stationary truck from behind, and that the truck driver was killed. “It was revealed that Prakash was changing a punctured tyre when the cab rammed into him. The impact was such that he got crushed between the two vehicles,” Chowdhary said.

Prakash was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared brought dead. His family was informed, police said.

A case under section 279 (rash driving) and 304A (causing death by negligence) was registered and investigation was taken up. During the probe, Mishra was arrested and he told investigators said that he fell asleep while driving and the vehicle rammed into the truck, police said.