NEW DELHI: A 28-year-old man died after a speeding Audi jumped the road divider and collided with an Ertiga on Ring Road near southwest Delhi’s Bhikaji Cama Place on Saturday. The driver of the offending vehicle was apprehended near Safdarjung Enclave.
The deceased, Sukhjit, was a resident of Azad Nagar in Hisar, Haryana, and ran a transportation business. His family members said that he was also preparing for govt employment examination. The offending driver, Paras Pathania, is a resident of Paschim Vihar and is the son of a factory owner. He earlier worked in Canada and told police he had a business in the purchase and sale of second-hand luxury cars.
Police received information about the accident at World Trade Centre at 6.30am. “The occupant of the Audi car fled the scene after hitting a man. The Ertiga driver was rushed to the hospital, where he was declared dead,” said Surendra Choudhary, DCP (South-West).
Sukhjit’s family said he had visited Gurgaon to meet his sister on Friday and was en route to Hisar when the accident occurred. “Sukhjit’s friend made a phone call to him, but a policeman picked up the call and informed him about the accident,” Sunil Dhillon, a family member said.
Dhillon claimed that there were four people in the offending car, all of whom fled after the accident. The car was being driven negligently and at high speed, which led to the accident, he alleged. He said, “Talks regarding Sukhjit’s marriage were also under way.”
Sukhjit was running the transport business along with his elder brother. His father is a retired Haryana police officer.
The impact of the collision left the front of the Ertiga completely mangled beyond recognition. The airbag deployed, but could not save the driver. There was blood splattered everywhere inside the car, staining the seats and dashboard. The situation was similar in the offending vehicle. Both cars bore Haryana number plates. The accident also led to traffic snarls in the area for a while.
A case was registered under sections 281 (rash driving or riding on a public way), 125 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 106 (causing death by negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Safdarjung Enclave police station. Pathania, aged around 25 years, told police his car’s tyre burst and he lost control of his vehicle. However, police are awaiting the medical report to determine whether he was driving under the influence. “He switched off his phone after the incident,” an investigator said. “However, with the help of technical surveillance, we apprehended him eventually.”
