Four friends killed as speeding car crashes into tree in Kushinagar

Three others injured, one critically, after car carrying friends returning from Navratri fair veers off the road near Ramabhar bridge

Four youths were killed and three others injured after a car carrying a group of friends returning from a Navratri fair crashed into a tree on the Kasya-Deoria road near Ramabhar bridge in Kushinagar district late Monday night.

Four friends killed as speeding car crashes into tree in Kushinagar

Kushinagar’s Kasya circle officer (CO), Ajay Kumar Singh said the accident took place around 15 km from the district headquarters. “The car, reportedly travelling at around 100 kmph, had seven occupants at the time of the crash, according to the information available. Two men died on the spot, while two others succumbed to their injuries during treatment,” he added.

He further informed that the injured were taken to a medical college in Ravindranagar for treatment. One of them, Ankit Prasad, was reported to be in critical condition and was referred to BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur after doctors described his condition as brain-dead.

The CO said the deceased were identified as Nitesh Kumar (22), Pradeep Prasad (23), Sanjeev Sharma (21) and Ankul Kanaujia (20). The injured included Ankit Prasad (22), Ankit Yadav (21) and Ankit (24).

According to family members, the group had left for the Navratri fair in Kasya on Monday evening. Nitesh, son of Shakuntal Prasad, the village head of Mathia Runi village in Tarakulwa, had taken his car and picked up friends from neighbouring villages before heading to the fair.

The group left for home at around 11.20 pm. The car reportedly went out of control and rammed into a tree near Ramabhar bridge.

Police officials said Himanshu Verma (22), who had accompanied the group to the fair, had refused to return in the car, citing concerns that the friends drove at high speed. He reportedly chose not to travel back with them.

The circumstances leading to the crash, including the car’s speed and who was driving at the time of the accident, are yet to be established.