Magazine editor severely hurt after speeding car hits her in Gurugram

A 67-year-old woman in Gurugram suffered multiple fractures and internal injuries after being hit by a speeding car while crossing a road. The driver has been arrested.

Gurugram: A 67-year-old woman suffered multiple fractures and internal injuries after allegedly being hit by a speeding car while she was trying to cross a narrow road near her house in Palam Vihar, Gurugram police said on Sunday.

Magazine editor severely hurt after speeding car hits her in Gurugram

Police said the incident took place at about 5.40pm on June 29, and the woman suffered at least 18 fractures. However, the driver of the speeding car was arrested only on Sunday after a video of the incident started circulating on social media.

According to investigators, the woman, who is an editor of a magazine, was identified as Rita Anand. They said the car driver sped away after hitting the woman.

Investigators said the Hyundai Verna car, having a Delhi registration number, took a sharp right turn to avoid collision with another car when the accident took place. Incidentally, there was a CCTV camera installed at the same spot and the entire incident was captured, said police.

Police said local residents raised an alarm and alerted the victim’s family members who rushed to the spot and immediately took her to a private hospital in Palam Vihar and later shifted her to another hospital in Sector 38.

On a complaint from the victim’s son Lakshman Anand, an FIR was registered against the unidentified driver under Section 279 (rash driving and riding on public way) and 337 (hurting any person by acting so rashly or negligently as to engender human life or the personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Palam Vihar police station on Friday, said police.

Lakshman alleged that his mother suffered from nine fractures on her right ribcage and seven on the left.

“Besides the injuries on the ribcage, both of her collar bones have also fractured. Her condition remains to be critical as there are several internal injuries. She is still in the intensive care unit (ICU). She was working as an editor for ‘Civil Society’ magazine in the national Capital,” Lakshman added.

Uttam Anand, the woman’s husband and a retired editor of a national English daily, alleged that the driver was arrested only after he started contacting several people known to him. “The entire locality suffers from encroachment and there is no separate place for pedestrians to walk safely,” he said.

Inspector Deepak Kumar, station house officer (SHO) of Palam Vihar, police station, said the driver has been identified as Devender Kumar (32).

“The vehicle owner was served a notice after which he appeared at the police station. He is a resident of Palam in Delhi and was on his way to Vyapar Kendra in Palam Vihar to purchase some goods when the accident took place. He works for a company which provides cab services to corporate firms,” SHO Kumar added.