Six friends returning after party in Gurugram killed as truck rams their car

Six friends who were returning to Faridabad after a party in Gurugram were killed early Friday after their car was allegedly hit from behind by a speeding truck on the Gurugram-Faridabad Road, police said, adding that efforts are on to arrest the driver of the truck, who abandoned the vehicle and fled the spot

Six friends who were returning to Faridabad after a party in Gurugram were killed early Friday after their car was allegedly hit from behind by a speeding truck on the Gurugram-Faridabad Road, police said, adding that efforts are on to arrest the driver of the truck, who abandoned the vehicle and fled the spot.

Gurugram, India-March 03, 2023: Six people died in a car and truck accident at Gurugram-Faridabad road near Mangar Police station, damage car parked in police station, in Gurugram, India, on Friday, 03 March 2023. (Photo by Parveen Kumar/Hindustan Times)(Pic to go with Leena Dhankar's story)

Police said the incident took place around 1.20am near Mangar police post. The friends, all hailing from Palwal, were in a Maruti Alto. After the truck rammed their car from behind, it overturned and got stuck under the wheels of the truck and was dragged for a few metres before coming to a halt. All six passengers suffered grievous injuries and died on the spot, said police.

The deceased were identified as Jatin, Akash, Vishal, Sandeep, Baljit and Punit Mangla of Palwal. Two of them were married and worked in private companies, police said, without identifying them separately.

Punit’s uncle Suresh Kumar, who was in another car behind the Alto, said he, his nephew Punit and Punit’s five friends had gone from Palwal to Gurugram to attend a party. “We all were together, and after the party, my nephew and his friends got into the Alto, while I boarded my friend’s car to return to Faridabad. Their car was nearly 18 kilometres ahead of us. Around 1.20am, when we reached near a petrol pump on the Gurugram-Faridabad road, a speeding truck rammed the Alto car from behind,” he said.

Kumar said the impact of the hit was such that the Alto overturned and got stuck underneath the truck and was dragged for a few metres. “My nephew and his friends suffered serious injuries and died on the spot. We raised the alarm and dialled on police helpline 112.A police patrol car reached the spot and called an ambulance. All injured persons were rushed to a hospital, where they were declared dead on arrival,” he said.

Police said a relative of one of the deceased (Kumar) noted down the registration number of the truck, but its driver had by then abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot.

Mukesh Malhotra, deputy commissioner of police (crime), said the deceased were in Gurugram to attend a party in honour of a friend who recently got married. “All six childhood friends could not attend the wedding; so they planned a party on Thursday in Gurugram. Fifteen minutes before the accident, Punit’s uncle called him to know where he had reached. Their Alto had just crossed the toll plaza when the truck hit them. The impact of the crash was such that all of them died on the spot,” he said.

A case was registered against the truck driver under sections 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way) and 304A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code at Dhauj police station in Faridabad, said police.