Three dead as speeding truck hits car on Upper Ganga Canal

Three persons, including a couple, were killed and three minors were injured after the vehicle they were travelling in collided with a truch head-on late Monday

Three persons, including a couple, were killed and three minors were injured after the vehicle they were travelling in collided with a truch head-on late Monday night on the two-lane road of the Upper Ganga Canal (UGC) near Muradnagar.

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The truck driver and co-driver were also severely injured in the accident.

The dead persons were identified as 28-year-old Mohammad Naseem, who was the driver, and his neighbours 32-year-old Mohammad Altaaf, wife 30-year-old Zeenat Parveen. The couple’s children, aged six to 11 years, and another relative were injured. They were residents of Tekchand Nagar in sector 104, Gurugram.

Police said the incident happened close to midnight. Naseem was to attend a wedding at Najibabbad in Uttar Pradesh’s Bijnor district and had offered to drop the family who were headed to their home there.

They took the UGC Road near Niwari, when the truck coming from the opposite side hit the car.

“As a result of the impact, the front portion of the car was completely damaged and three persons died on the spot. The truck was travelling at high-speed and fell into the empty canal after the crash. The three children were rushed to a nearby hospital and are under treatment. They are stated to be stable. We have received a complaint and FIR will be registered,” said Neeraj Kumar Jadaun, superintendent of police (rural).

The canal road is generally safe for plying of vehicles like two-wheelers and cars. It is used as a bypass by thousands of commuters who wish to skip travelling on the Delhi-Meerut Road to reach the UP-Uttarakhand border. The canal is dry as water flow had been stopped for annual maintenance.

Altaaf’s brother Mohaamad Faheem said, “Naseem drove an Ertiga while the rest of his family who were heading to Bijnor too were travelling in another vehicle but was quite some distance behind. My cousin 21-year-old Mohammad Shahban too was in the Ertiga and suffered major injuries to his hand. It seems that the truck from the opposite was driven rashly and hit the car. Naseem’s mother who was at the accident site once their vehicle caught up said that someone had taken the mobile phone and ₹15000 that was in Naseem’s pocket during the rescue. We have given a complaint to the police.”

The police said that they will probe about the missing mobile and cash and have also admitted the truck driver, Mohammad Saddam and co-driver, Shahrukh, to hospital as they also suffered severe injuries during the accident.

The police said that there was no fog or low-visibility during the incident and it is likely that the truck driver was driving rash which finally led to the incident.