Woman killed, 4 injured as high-speed car rams into 3 two-wheelers in Vadodara

Rakshit Chaurasiya, a 23-year-old law student who was behind the wheel, was arrested, and police took his friend, Pranshu Chauhan, who was in the passenger seat, into custody

Ahmedabad: A woman was killed, and four others, including two minors, were injured on Friday after a high-speed car rammed into at least three two-wheelers, including an electric scooter and two Activas, in the Karelibaug area of Gujarat’s Vadodara, police said.

A CCTV footage from the area shows the car ramming into multiple two-wheelers and dragging them before finally coming to a halt (Video grab)

Rakshit Chaurasiya, a 23-year-old law student who was behind the wheel, was arrested, and police took his friend, Pranshu Chauhan, who was in the passenger seat, into custody, said an officer.

A CCTV footage from the area shows the car ramming into multiple two-wheelers and dragging them before finally coming to a halt around 12.30 am.

“We have arrested Rakshit Ravish Chaurasiya, who was driving the car at the time of the collision. The vehicle is registered in the name of Duan Technology, a company run by Pranshu Chauhan’s father. Pranshu, who was sitting beside Chaurasiya during the incident, has also been taken into custody,” Panna Momaya, deputy commissioner of police (DCP), Vadodara, city, said.

The police is investigating the circumstances leading up to the crash. Preliminary investigations indicated “overspeeding and suspected intoxication.”

Blood samples of Chaurasiya and Chauhan were sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), and the reports are awaited, Momaya said.

A police officer said, “We suspect Chaurasiya was intoxicated when he exited the vehicle. A video circulating on social media shows him repeatedly shouting, ‘another round, another round, another round.’ He is also seen mentioning a name - Nikita - and chanting, Om Namah Shivaya.”

Local residents reportedly thrashed him before handing him over to the police.

Police have identified the deceased as Hemali Patel. Her husband, Purav Patel, who was driving the scooter, was severely injured. “Hemali died on the spot, while Purav sustained injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment,” Momaya said.

“Nisha Ashish Shah and her two children, aged nine and fourteen, were injured and are receiving treatment at a hospital in Vadodara,” an officer said.

An FIR was registered against Chaurasiya under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Momaya added.