Ahmedabad: At least nine persons were killed and around 10 others injured when a speeding car ploughed into a crowd gathered at an accident site on a bridge in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad city on Thursday, police said.
A constable and a Home Guard jawan, who reached the spot after the first accident of a collision involving two vehicles, were among those killed in the incident, they said.
The accident took place at around 1 am at ISKCON bridge on the Sarkhej-Gandhinagar highway in Satellite area of the city when the Jaguar car moving at a very high speed ploughed into a crowd gathered there, the police said.
“At around 1 am, a Thar (SUV) collided with a truck at ISKCON Bridge on SG Highway. After receiving information about the accident, local traffic police and a Home Guard jawan reached the spot to manage the traffic and handle the situation. Out of curiosity, several bystanders also gathered at the spot to check what had happened,” Satellite police station inspector K Y Vyas said.
“When they were on the bridge, a speeding Jaguar car rammed into the crowd, killing five persons on the spot, while four persons died during treatment. The deceased included a constable and a Home Guard jawan. Nearly 10 persons who received injuries were admitted to different hospitals,” he said.
The car driver, Tathya Patel, was also admitted to a private hospital as he too received injuries, the official said.
According to sources, the angry bystanders thrashed the car driver and a video of it was captured by a person standing below the bridge.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Traffic, Neeta Desai said an FIR has been registered in this connection and the police will try their best to ensure the kin of the victims get justice.
“Nine persons were killed and 10 to 11 people were injured in the accident. It does not appear to be a case of drunk driving. But our primary investigation has revealed the speed of the Jaguar car was extremely high. Since (car driver) Tathya Patel is under treatment, we will arrest him once doctors give a go-ahead,” Desai said at the Sola Civil Hospital.
Most of the deceased and injured youth belonged to other cities and were living here as paying guests, as per sources.
After learning about the first accident, they went on the bridge out of curiosity. Minutes later, the speeding car came from Karnavati Club side and ran over the crowd, they said.
The parents and other family members of the deceased reached the Sola Civil Hospital and demanded the harshest punishment for the accused.
The crossroads under the ISKCON bridge is a popular hangout spot for youngsters during night hours, as they gather there to have tea and snacks.
Many people wanting to travel to other towns and cities also gather at the ISKCON crossroads to catch buses or private vehicles.
Car was moving at extremely high speed
The high-end car was moving at “extremely” high speed, according to an injured survivor of the deadly accident.
Altamash Qureshi was one of the bystanders who had gathered at an accident site on the bridge.
“My friends and I went on the bridge after a Thar (SUV) met with an accident. Suddenly, a car came from behind and hit all of us. The speed of the car was extremely high. It ploughed into the crowd,” said Qureshi, who is being treated at Sola Civil Hospital.
After being hit by the Jaguar car, some of the victims were flung into the air and landed nearly 25 to 30 feet away. The stretch of the road turned red due to the spilt blood. The impact was such that the front portion of the car, as well as its windscreen, got completely damaged.
