Man suffers multiple fractures after falling off cab, being run over by SUV

The victim, identified as Arpit Yadav, works as a project manager with an IT company in Noida and was in Gurugram for work.

A 31-year-old man suffered multiple fractures to his legs and shoulders after falling off a cab he partially boarded and being run over by an SUV in Sector 56 last Friday night, the police said. He was dragged for about a kilometre by the cab driver, the police said, adding that he underwent multiple surgeries in a city hospital over the weekend.

As of Monday evening, only the cab driver was traced. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

The victim, identified as Arpit Yadav, works as a project manager with an IT company in Noida and was in Gurugram for work. His statement was recorded on Sunday in the hospital, following which the drivers of the cab and the SUV were booked under sections 279 (rash driving) and 338 (endangering life) of the Indian Penal Code.

The incident took place outside a restaurant in Sector 56 when Yadav was boarding a cab, booked through cab aggregator service Uber, to reach a hotel in Sector 25 where he was staying.

“Around 11pm, I booked a cab for my hotel. The cab driver arrived and asked me for my drop location. I had opened the door and was about to board the car when the driver started to drive away saying he could not drop me. I was dragged for around a kilometre but he did not stop and I fell on the road. A speeding Pajero SUV ran over me,” Yadav said.

KK Rao, the commissioner of police, said, “Crime teams are investigating the case and have identified the Uber driver, but he is yet to be arrested. The other driver, who was behind the wheels of the Pajero, is not identified but they are scanning CCTV footage and the SUV will be identified soon.”

Amit Kumar, station house officer of Sector 56 police station, said that they are investigating the identity of both the drivers and are scanning CCTV footage from the area of the incident. “The victim has undergone surgeries and is out of danger. A case could not be registered earlier as he was not fit to give a statement. We are questioning a few people who were at the spot,” he said.

Yadav said that he was heading back to his lodging after meeting a few friends for dinner when the incident took place. His friends informed the police control room, after which a police team reached the hospital.

Yadav alleged that the driver of the SUV was drunk and was driving in reverse. “I was screaming in pain but he did not pay any heed to it. My friends who were running behind me shouted at him to stop but he ran over me three times and fled the spot,” he said.

A police officer said they suspect that the cab driver tried to drive away, without realising that Yadav was halfway in, but later fled the spot.

A spokesperson for Uber, the cab aggregator app used by Yadav, said, “Safety is a top priority at Uber. This is an unfortunate incident and we have removed the driver’s access to the Uber app following the rider’s complaint. We stand ready to assist the law enforcement authorities in their investigation.”