Accident response team solves 10 hit-and-run cases in 10 days

A six-member accident response team (Art) of the Gurugram Police is revisiting black spots and hit-and-run cases to identify drivers who fled the spot after hitting motorists and pedestrians this year. The police said on Tuesday that the team has solved 10 blind cases in the last 10 days

A six-member accident response team (Art) of the Gurugram Police is revisiting black spots and hit-and-run cases to identify drivers who fled the spot after hitting motorists and pedestrians this year. The police said on Tuesday that the team has solved 10 blind cases in the last 10 days.

The police analyse CCTV footage to track the suspects. (Sourced)

The team, constituted on March 25 in Manesar, has been visiting accident spots and scanning footage from closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras to check the cause of accidents. Officials said they decided to start with Manesar as the industrial area witnesses the highest heavy vehicle movement, as well as motorists and pedestrians. The exercise will start across the city by the year-end, the police said.

Varun Singla, the deputy commissioner of police, Manesar, said that the officials were tasked with identifying the errant drivers in cases where there were no leads. “We have solved 65 cases out of 85 accidents cases, including 10 blind cases, in the last three months. The team visited the spot, scanned the area and questioned daily commuters. The task is challenging but once these cases are solved, it will reduce the number of accidents as taking action against drivers, who have a casual approach, will set an example,” he said.

Officials said that the team would reach accident spots within minutes and cordon off the area to ensure there is no manipulation at the spot to mislead the investigators. The officers record eyewitness accounts in a document, which helps in nabbing the suspect.

The police said that the aim of constituting such a team is to reduce fatalities on city roads, identify black spots and ways to make the commute safer at these spots.

Commuters alleged that accidents take place repeatedly at black spots and despite regular monitoring, the police are unable to make the spot accident-free.

“Drivers, especially of trucks, regularly using the stretch, take advantage of a lack of CCTV cameras and low police presence. They flee the spot after accidents. There have been repeated accidents by same persons but they do not face any action,” said Ram Niwas, an executive working with an automobile firm in Manesar, who met with an accident in February this year. He said his brother was severely injured on the expressway on June 25, after a speeding truck hit him from behind and fled the spot.

The police said the mandate of Art is to undertake photography of the crime scene for better prosecution, tracing unknown cases and ensuring that the guilty parties are held responsible. The team will also help victims with first aid and take them to a hospital if an ambulance does not reach the spot quickly. They will ensure that the investigation officer files the requisite Form 54 of MACT [Motor Accident Claim Tribunal] to help victims’ families to claim insurance.

Investigation strategy

The police said that between June 21 and June 30, 10 accidents took place in the Manesar area, majorly on the expressway. The injured were hospitalised and there were no clues leading to the suspects in any of the cases. The drivers had fled the crime scene and there were no eyewitnesses either, said officials.

In one such incident, wherein a biker was severely injured after being hit from the rear, Singla said the team scanned CCTV footage of the area and recovered videos in which they spotted a logo of a bread manufacturer on the truck. However, they could not decipher the registration number or any other details.

The team started deploying members on the route to intercept the truck and after 10 days, they managed to locate one, following which they were able to locate the company and subsequently, identify the person responsible for the incident.

Singla said the team employed a similar strategy in other cases as well, and followed up with transport and automobile companies whose vehicles were spotted in the area around the time of accidents.

Singla said, “Tampering of evidence is a common practice, so the crime spots need to be cordoned off till all pieces of evidence are collected. The team admits victims to nearby hospitals. They question eyewitnesses and people near the accident spot.”

Pilot project

KK Rao, the commissioner of police for Gurugram, said that this was a pilot project to reduce the number of accidents in the area. “The Art collects crucial details of accidents, victims, suspects, vehicles used in the crime, times, and other factors to prepare a report for insurance claims. This pilot project has improved the quality of investigation and also help families of the victims to receive justice on time,” Rao said.

The police use Google forms to fill in details, after which mapping of the area is done and measures are undertaken to ascertain the reasons for accidents and reduce the same.

Sarika Panda Bhatt, a road safety expert, said the initiative by the police will help identify all blackspots and the reasons for the accidents. “This way, action will be taken against the people who are responsible for the accidents and will prevent mishaps. This can be a useful exercise if done regularly and across the city, instead of focussing on one area. There are various other spots where the roads are unsafe; there are engineering faults and concerns of speeding, but they are still out of the police radar,” she said, adding that despite several awareness drives and increased deployment, motorists are not following safe practices.