Car runs into stationary truck; 2 of family killed

Two members of a family — an 8-year-old girl and her mother —have been killed when a car rams a stationary truck from behind near Buddha Jayanti Park, reports HT Correspondent.

Two members of a family — an eight-year-old girl and her mother —were killed when a car rammed a stationary truck from behind near Buddha Jayanti Park on Ridge Road on Sunday morning.

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Two other occupants of the car, the girl's father and her elder sister, are battling for their lives at the AIIMS Trauma Centre. The truck had entered a no-entry zone and had been parked illegally on the road.

The dead are Shivangi Arora (8) and her mother Poonam (45). The injured are Vivek Arora (49), and Deeksha Arora (17). Vivek was driving the car.

The police said the truck, that had entered the restricted zone, was parked on Ridge Road when Vivek ran his Maruti car into it around 10.35 am

The Aroras were on way to their Vasant Kunj home. The car got stuck at the bottom of the truck and the police had to use cutters to separate it.

The family had gone to Rajasthan on a pilgrimage during the extended weekend and had returned on Saturday night. "They had stayed back at my house. On Sunday morning, they started from New Rajender Nagar to their Vasant Kunj home. A couple informed us. They rushed my sister and her family to hospital. If it were not for them, nobody would have survived," said Yogesh Kumar, Poonam's brother.

The truck driver, Ali Jaan, tried to flee but the couple called up the police and he was held a hundred metres away.

Vivek and Deeksha, who was sitting behind him, survived the accident. Shivangi, who was sitting at the front seat, and her mother sitting behind her died instantly.

The police have impounded the truck. The family members alleged that there was a delay in extending medical help. "Vivek and Deeksha were lying on the stretcher for over two hours. The hospital staff said they didn't have adequate staff as it was a Sunday," said CM Nagpal, a relative of the Aroras.