Retired home guard killed after car runs him over in Pratapgarh

Officials said preliminary findings suggest the driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel after attending a wedding, causing the vehicle to lose control

: A 60-year-old man was killed on Tuesday after a car ran over him while he was repairing his vehicle’s number plate in Pratapgarh’s Raniganj area, police said. The victim was identified as Jagdish Giri, a resident of Pure Mahant Ramgarh village. He had retired as a Home Guard and had recently started driving his own SUV for hire.

Officials said preliminary findings suggest the driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel after attending a wedding, causing the vehicle to lose control (For representation only)

Police said the incident occurred in Bithalpur ward on the Lucknow–Varanasi highway. Giri had returned late on Monday night after attending a wedding when the number plate of his SUV was damaged. At around 11 am on Tuesday, he parked the vehicle outside a garage in Raniganj and began repairing it himself. During this time, a speeding car coming from the Varanasi side lost control and ran him over. He died on the spot. The driver of the car, identified as Indrajeet Singh, a resident of Gauriganj in Amethi and a retired block development officer, was seriously injured. He was first taken to Raniganj Trauma Centre and later referred to a medical college hospital. Police reached the spot, seized the car and sent the body for a post-mortem examination.

Officials said preliminary findings suggest the driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel after attending a wedding, causing the vehicle to lose control. Further investigation is under way.