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Father-son duo killed as van crashes in Amethi
A late-night crash in Amethi killed a man and his son after their van swerved to avoid a stray animal, highlighting the danger of stray cattle on roads.
A late-night road accident on Thursday claimed the lives of a man and his son after their speeding van lost control while attempting to avoid a stray animal on the road in Amethi district. Two other occupants of the vehicle were seriously injured.
The accident once again highlights the growing menace of stray cattle on rural roads, which continues to endanger commuters despite repeated complaints to authorities.
Amethi superintendent of police (SP), Aparna Rajat Kaushik, said that the incident occurred on the Semrauta Road under the Inhauna police station area, around 70 km from the district headquarters.
Inhauna police station in-charge, Pradeep Singh said that the man, Rang Bahadur, 70, and son, Vinay Kumar, 40, were declared dead at the hospital, while the two injured passengers, including Rang Bahadur’s younger son, Rahul Kumar, 32, are undergoing treatment.
He said eyewitnesses said the van was travelling at nearly 80 kmph when a stray animal suddenly appeared in the middle of the road. In an attempt to save it, the driver applied the brakes sharply, causing the vehicle to skid for about 10 metres before crashing head-on into a roadside tree, he added.
He said the impact was so severe that the van’s left side was almost completely crushed, with the door collapsing inward. Locals reported that the sound of the collision was heard across several nearby houses. Police reached the spot after being alerted by passers-by and pulled out the victims who were trapped inside the mangled vehicle.
