15-year-old cleaner killed in crash on NH-9 in Ghaziabad

When driver, Mohammad Kausar, spotted the stationary bus, he tried to swerve the vehicle to avoid the bus, but a passing car prevented him from doing so. He tried to avoid a collision with the car and his truck ended up hitting the bus from the rear

A 15-year-old truck cleaner lost his life after the mini truck he was travelling rammed a broken down bus parked carelessly on National Highway 9 (NH-9) near Kazipura exit late Thursday night in Ghaziabad.

The mangled remains of the truck. Police said the truck driver was speeding and could not spot the carelessly parked broken down bus on the highway in time to avoid it. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

The traffic police said the bus had suffered a tyre burst and its driver had parked the vehicle on NH-9 without turning on the parking lights, nor did the vehicle have reflective tapes.

According to Wave City police, the accident probably took place around 2-3am on Friday.The mini truck was ferrying goods and was coming from Hapur and going towards Delhi. The police said the truck met with an accident near Kazipura exit which diverts traffic on NH-9 towards a service lane.

The police identified the victim as Mohammad Isa, a native of Madhepura in Bihar.

Sub-inspector Bhanu Pratap Singh, who inspected the spot, said the mini truck was probably travelling at a speed range of 70-80km/hour and rammed into the rear of the parked bus.

“The impact of the crash was such that the parked bus was pushed forward by about 10 metres from the spot where it was parked. Isa got trapped inside the cabin of the crushed truck and we had to use a machine to separate the damaged portion and retrieve the man. But he had died by then and his body was sent for an autopsy. The truck driver escaped with minor injuries. The bus was parked very carelessly,” Singh said.

“The truck was on its way to Delhi when the accident happened. When driver, Mohammad Kausar spotted the stationary bus, he tried to swerve the vehicle to avoid the bus, but a passing car prevented him from doing so. He tried to avoid a collision with the car and his truck ended up hitting the bus from the rear,” said Mohammad Nazim, a friend of the deceased.

Saloni Agarwal, assistant commissioner of police, Wave City, said the family of the deceased has been informed.

“We will register an FIR as soon as his family arrives and gives us a complaint. The bus had broken down and was parked on the highway. This led to the accident,” the ACP said.