Six killed as SUV rams illegally parked truck on KMP E-way in Palwal

Atleast six pilgrims died and 14 others critically injured after the pick-up van they were in allegedly rammed into a truck parked on the roadside of Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway in Palwal early Tuesday, police said

Atleast six pilgrims died and 14 others critically injured after the pick-up van they were in allegedly rammed into a truck parked on the roadside of Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway in Palwal early Tuesday, police said.

The mangled SUV. (HT)

According to police, the truck was parked in a wrong manner on the road and drivers of the van as well as the truck fled after the incident.

The deceased have been identified as Vijay Singh Yadav (75), his son-in-law Raj Kumar (40), Kumar’s mother Kamla Devi (65), aunts Reshma Devi (45) and Sudha Devi (52) and a neighbour Mahesh (60), all from Uttar Pradesh’s Mainpuri, police said.

Police officials said 21 residents from Kishanpur Muraiya, Makoaya, Chanda and neighbouring villages in Uttar Pradesh’s Mainpuri district had left for a pilgrimage on Friday after hiring the Bolero. The vehicle’s rear section was converted into a sleeper.

The group had travelled to the temples in Rajasthan on Monday and were going to reach Mathura via Palwal to visit Vrindavan when the crash took place.

Hari Kishan, station house officer of Palwal Sadar police station, said the accident took place at 5.30am on Tuesday. Prima facie it seems that Bolero’s driver Sudhir fell asleep while driving, due to which he changed lanes and ended up ramming the truck.

A senior police officer, who reached the spot after the accident, said that the impact of the collision was so intense that the Bolero was wrecked and several of the pilgrims were trapped inside it.

He said most of the pilgrims were asleep when the crash took place. Commuters informed the police and multiple emergency response vehicles were soon sent to the spot.

“Soon after the collision, the driver of the truck sped away from the spot. It was illegally parked on the expressway. The Bolero driver also fled,” Kishan said.

He said police are scanning CCTV footage from the expressway to identify the truck and the driver.

Vinay Yadav, son of one of the victims who died, said several members of his family were among those travelling in the vehicle.

“The last phone conversation with my father had taken place on Monday night. He told me that they were heading to Mathura. They were scheduled to return home by Saturday. I never expected that so many family members would be gone in a blink of an eye,” he said.

On Vinay’s complaint, an FIR against the truck driver was registered under section 106 (causing death by negligence), 285 (danger or obstruction in public way or line of navigation), 324 (5) (mischief causing damage to the amount of one lakh rupees or upwards) and 125 (act engendering life or personal safety of others) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Palwal Sadar police station.

Police said all six bodies were handed over the concerned families after autopsy by Tuesday evening.