4 hurt as 11 vehicles pile up after bus driver tries to flee

NEW DELHI: Four people were injured after 11 vehicles, including a cluster bus, piled-up in southwest Delhi’s Bijwasan near Kapashera on Monday morning.

NEW DELHI: Four people were injured after 11 vehicles, including a cluster bus, piled-up in southwest Delhi’s Bijwasan near Kapashera on Monday morning.

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Police said the accident took place when the cluster bus driver jumped out of the moving bus after hitting a biker whom he thought was crushed under the wheels along with the bike.

The driverless bus hit a Wagon R car, moving ahead and pushing it on the other side of the road, simultaneously colliding with more vehicles. Eyewitnesses told police that the driver of the car had also jumped out of his vehicle to save his life.

The vehicles involved in the pile-up were badly damaged but most of their occupants miraculously escaped unhurt. Only four people, including two motorcyclists, suffered injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital for medical attention.

None of them had any lifethreatening injury, said police.

Surender Kumar, deputy commissioner of police (southwest), said the accident took place on the Bijwasan flyover around 9am when the cluster bus, plying on route number 578, was heading towards Najafgarh.

“The bus first rammed a motorcycle from behind. The impact was such the motorcyclist was flung away but his bike was trapped under the bus. Anticipating that the biker had come under his bus along with his two-wheeler, the bus driver first decided to speed away but later jumped out of the moving bus to avoid mob rage,” said Kumar.

The Wagon R driver escaped with relatively minor injuries as he fell out of his car midway as the door swung open. The bus ran for some metres down the flyover and hit six more vehicles before coming to a halt. The car too hit a couple of vehicles. Those trapped inside the damaged vehicles were rescued by passersby and locals.

“While four of them needed hospitalisation, others were discharged after preliminary medical attention. We registered a case against the errant bus driver. He has been identified and will be arrested,” said a police officer.