2 charred to death after car hits van on DME

The crash took place around 1.30pm on the Delhi-bound carriageway when an Eeco van was parked roadside as its driver changed a flat tyre.

Two men and a pet dog were burnt to death after an allegedly speeding car rear-ended a van parked with a flat tyre on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway near Crossings Republik Township in Ghaziabad on Tuesday, police said. The collision caused both vehicles to erupt in flames.

The charred cars at the spot after the incident. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

The deceased men, both inside the van, are yet to be identified, police said.

Officials said a family travelling in the Maruti Celerio that crashed into the van — Shiv Kumar, 62, his wife Sunita, 54, and their daughter Babita, 28 — sustained injuries and are undergoing treatment at a hospital.

The crash took place around 1.30pm on the Delhi-bound carriageway when an Eeco van was parked roadside as its driver changed a flat tyre.

“The Eeco van had pulled over due to a flat tyre. While the driver was changing it, the Celerio slammed into the van. Both vehicles caught fire immediately. Two van occupants, aged around 35 and 40, were charred to death. We are trying to establish their identity… A pet dog travelling with the family in the Celerio also died,” said assistant commissioner of police (ACP) (Wave City circle) Priyashri Pal.

She said legal action will be initiated once the police receive a complaint from the affected people.

Police said the van was ferrying passengers from Amroha to Delhi. The victims inside the van were not related and their identities had not been established. Some passengers fled the spot after the crash, she added.

The Celerio occupants had attended a wedding in Meerut and were headed to Faridabad.

Police said the van frequently operates between Joya in Amroha district and Delhi.

“The Eeco van driver parked the vehicle roadside and was changing the tire. Suddenly, a Celerio car came from behind and rammed into the van. The van driver and one more person from the van were charred in fire. We were 11 people in the van and several people were there in the Celerio car. One of us in the van had documents and about ₹1 lakh in cash, all got burnt along with my mobile,” said Krishan Kumar, one of the van’s passengers.

Kumar added that he was to get down near Sector 62, Noida, for his office work.

Police said that the two deceased were rushed to a hospital, but they were declared brought dead. “Three persons in the Celerio – a couple and their daughter – also suffered injuries, and they were rushed by police to a hospital in Noida. They are under treatment and stable,” the ACP added.

Traffic police officials also inspected the incident site.

“The speeding Celerio car hit the wrongly-parked Eeco van. Both vehicles caught fire immediately after the crash. The Celerio car had a registration number of Haryana while the van had a registration number of Delhi,” said Ziauddin Ahmad, assistant commissioner of police (traffic).

Chief fire officer Rahul Pal, said that the department rushed one fire tender to the spot and doused the fire. “Both vehicles involved in the accident were charred and suffered considerable damage,” he added.