Driver arrested after elderly couple injured in a hit-and-run in Delhi's Kirti Nagar

The 79-year-old man and his 71-year-old wife were seriously injured after an SUV rammed them from behind during their morning walk.

A 79-year-old man and his 71-year-old wife, who were walking on a road in west Delhi’s Kirti Nagar, were seriously injured after an SUV rammed them from behind during their morning walk on Friday, police said on Saturday. The driver of the SUV, a 49-year-old woman, fled the scene in her car but was arrested later.

The impact of the hit was such that the man was flung into the air, while the woman fell near an electric pole on the roadside. (Screengrab)

A senior police officer said the accident took place near Arya Samaj Mandir around 9.30am, when the elderly couple, Dayanand Tangra, 79, and his wife Kusum Tangra, 71, were returning to their Kirti Nagar residence after their walk. The accident was captured on CCTV cameras installed in the area.

In a purported video clip circulating on social media, the couple is seen walking on the road when a Hyundai Creta takes a left turn, suddenly veers to its left and hits the couple from behind. The impact of the hit was such that the man was flung into the air, while the woman fell near an electric pole on the roadside.

The video clip further shows the woman driver stopping her vehicle, coming out of it and rushing towards the elderly man who is lying on the road face down. Some passersby also rush to help him. The woman stays on the road for around 30 seconds before leaving the spot in her car, leaving behind the injured couple.

HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the video clip.

Deputy commissioner of police (west) Hareshwar V Swami said that the injured couple was admitted to a private hospital, where they are undergoing treatment.

“A case of rash driving and act causing hurt and endangering life or personal safety of others was registered under sections 281 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at the Kirti Nagar police station. The woman driver, Naveen Kaur, has been arrested and the offending vehicle has also been impounded,” said DCP Swami.

Police said Dayanand Tagra, who suffered a serious head injury, ran a footwear sole manufacturing factory, while his wife is a homemaker. She suffered injuries to the rear portion of her body.