3 killed as DU student's car ploughs into workers installing metal fence on Dwarka Expressway

The driver, who was also critically injured, was identified as Vedant Khanna, a second-year Economics Honours student at St Stephen’s College.

Three men at a construction site were killed and one was left critically injured in Gurugram after a car allegedly driven by a 20-year-old student from Delhi University’s St Stephen’s College ploughed into them as they were installing a metal fence on Dwarka Expressway early on Thursday, police said.

He was driving a white Chevrolet Beat, which was left mangled after the crash, police said. (PARVEEN KUMAR/HINDUSTAN TIMES)

The accident took place at around 2.30am when the workers were installing an iron fence on the divider of a surface road, officials said. The driver, who was also critically injured, was identified as Vedant Khanna, a second-year Economics Honours student at St Stephen’s College.

He was driving a white Chevrolet Beat, which was left mangled after the crash, police said.

Witness says accused appeared ‘drunk’

An eyewitness told HT that Khanna “appeared to be drunk”, but Gurugram police said they were awaiting medical test reports to establish whether he was driving under the influence of alcohol or any other substance.

Police identified the deceased as Bijender Singh, 58, his cousin Pappu Singh, 55, and their contractor Satish Chand, 43. All four hailed from Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr district.

A senior police officer said the four had been deployed by a contractor working for the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to install the fencing. They were carrying out the work during the early hours because of low traffic movement.

“Bijender and Pappu were filling concrete at the base while the other two were holding the fences when the car rammed them,” the officer, who asked not to be identified, said.

Victims arrived in Gurugram 2 days back

The workers had arrived in Gurugram from their village two days earlier and were living together in rented accommodation in Bajghera, police said.

All four were rushed to a private hospital in Bajghera after the accident. Doctors declared Bijender and Pappu dead on arrival. Satish died during treatment in the night, while Ram was admitted to the ICU in critical condition.

Khanna was also taken to the same hospital. His family subsequently shifted him to another private hospital in Sector 44, where he is in critical condition, police said.

Jitender Kumar, another daily-wage worker involved in the fencing work, told HT that the car brushed against him. He said the worksite had clearly marked signage, reflective boards and barricades.

“The car rammed all the barricades and then ended up hitting us. Bijender and Pappu were killed instantly at the spot. I was also injured and my clothes were torn after being brushed by the speeding car,” he said.

Kumar said he escaped serious injury and, after recovering from the shock, began helping the injured workers and raising an alarm.

He said the car had gone on to ram a pick-up truck belonging to the contractor and crushed the newly installed fencing before coming to a halt after jumping over the divider. “After being hit, the truck rolled forward for at least 100-150 metres due to the force of impact. The car was actually wrecked from this collision,” Kumar said, adding that the driver “appeared to be drunk”.

Police said people at the spot alerted the control room following which ambulances were sent to the site and the injured workers were taken to the hospital.

Sandeep Turan, public relations officer of Gurugram police, said an FIR had been registered against Khanna at Bajghera police station under sections 125(a) (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 106 (causing death by negligence), 281 (rash driving) and 324(5) (mischief causing damage to the amount of ₹1 lakh or above) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

“Only after further investigation will it be clear whether the car driver was drunk. At present, he is undergoing treatment and is in a critical condition,” Turan said.