In an accident that happened early on Thursday morning on a flyover close to an ISKCON temple on the Sarkhej-Gandhinagar (SG) Highway in Ahmedabad city, there were nine fatalities and thirteen injuries. It was a “hit-and-run” involving a “Jaguar” premium vehicle, according to Gujarat police.
“As of right now, the disaster that happened at one in the morning has claimed the lives of nine people and injured thirteen others. According to sources in the city police control centre, a Jaguar car was the culprit in the hit-and-run. According to Kripa Patel, the medical officer at Sola Civil Hospital, “the injured are being treated in the hospital.”
According to the Sarkhej Traffic Police, Tathya Patel, the Jaguar’s 19-year-old driver, was assaulted by onlookers after the event and is currently receiving treatment at the CIMS Hospital. After speaking with the doctor, he will be taken into custody, DCP Traffic West Nita Desai said.
Vasudevbhai Sartanbhai, the assistant sub-inspector with the Sarkhej (SG-2) Highway Traffic Police, said, “The first accident took place at around 12.30-1.00 at night between a four-wheeler Thar and dumper truck. There were no casualties in this accident. The Jaguar car came into the scene after about 15 minutes at a speed of approximately 150km/hr and crushed the people (the bystanders and the policemen at the earlier accident site).”
Dharmendrasinh Narsangbhai Parmar, a 35-year-old constable at Sarkhej Traffic Police Station, had reached the spot after the first accident to manage the crowd. However, he was hit by the speeding Jaguar and lost his life on the way to hospital, said the police.
“When my vehicle hit the dumper truck, I stayed near the site while the dumper truck driver ran away. As I waited for the towing truck, the Jaguar car came mowing down the people,” said the driver of the Thar Jeep.
“Currently, the post mortem of those killed is underway, and an FIR will be lodged later,” ASI Vasudev added.
The flyover near ISKCON temple has been temporarily closed by the police.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said in a tweet on Thursday morning that the state government had announced an ex gratia payment of Rs. 4 lakh to the families of those killed in the accident and Rs. 50,000 to those who were hurt.
Rushikesh Patel, the health minister for Gujarat, and Harsh Sanghavi, the home minister, visited the injured patients in the hospital and offered their condolences to the families of the deceased.
