IAF officer dies in accident on Yamuna Expressway

An Indian Air Force officer died when his taxi rammed a stationary pickup truck near the Jewar toll plaza on the Yamuna Expressway on Monday morning.

An Indian Air Force officer died when his taxi rammed a stationary pickup truck near the Jewar toll plaza on the Yamuna Expressway on Monday morning.

Group Captain Hanumant Rao was posted at IAF’s Agra airbase. He was returning from the Delhi airport when the accident took place. (HT Photo)

The deceased, Group Captain Hanumant Rao, was posted at IAF’s Agra airbase and was returning from the Delhi airport in the taxi when the accident happened, police said.

“Passersby informed the police. An ambulance of the Yamuna Expressway rushed to the spot where Rao and the driver Vipin were pulled out of the car and rushed to a nearby hospital. Rao was declared dead on arrival while Vipin is in the intensive care unit,” said Abhishek Yadav, superintendent of police (rural), Gautam Budh Nagar.

Police said the air bags in the front seat saved the driver. But Rao, who was sitting on the rear seat, received multiple fractures.

Police seized the pickup truck but its driver fled. A case of death due to negligence was registered against unidentified persons at the Dankaur police station, police said.

“We have summoned the owner of the vehicle to identify the driver. The vehicle was illegally parked on the expressway,” said Yadav.

Rao hailed from Hyderabad. “The family was informed and the body was sent for postmortem. Reports are awaited. Prima facie it looks like the cab driver was at a very high speed and failed to spot the truck,” said Yadav.