Death toll rises: 3 dead as Honda City falls off Delhi flyover with 7 students on way to write exam
Seven students were on their way to appear for an exam in Narela in the Honda City car when the accident took place. The police claim the car was being driven by a student named Rajat at high speed when the mishap occurred.
The toll in Monday’s Honda City accident rose to three after a teenager succumbed to his injuries. Four other students are still in ICU. In all, seven students were injured after a Honda City car skid and fell off a flyover in Punjabi Bagh area of west Delhi.
According to the police, the students, including two girls, from Delhi Institute of Professional studies — were on their way to take an exam at a college in Narela, when the incident occurred around 8am. The car, police said, was moving at high speed and toppled after the driver lost control. The tyres skid and the car crashed against the divider. It was thrown in the air on impact, fell off the flyover and landed upside down on the ground.
According to the police, a student named Rajat (22) was driving the car and his friends — Pranav, Grima, Rishab, Raja, Ritu and Sanchit — were with him.
The police received a PCR call from a passerby who was on his way to office from the route. The police team rushed to the spot, pulled the students out and took them to the hospital. “Sanchit (18) and Ritu (18), were declared dead on arrival at the hospital,” a senior police officer said. The surviving students are battling for life in ICU. Rajat was declared dead at Ganga Ram Hospital.
While eyewitnesses alleged that it took the police and the ambulance over half-an-hour to reach the spot after the call, police claimed that they reached within minutes. Police, however, admitted that it took them over 15 minutes to pull the students out as the car was completely damaged. “We even called the fire department to help us pull out the occupants as the car’s doors and roof were completely crushed. Preliminary examination suggests that the two students who died on the spot had suffered excessive blood loss and severe head injuries. Their bodies have been sent for post mortem and their families have been informed,” a senior police officer said.
Speaking to HT, Nizammudin, an eyewitness said, “I was on my way to office when I heard the crash and rushed to help. There were six people inside the car, one got stuck on the flyover itself. While a few of them fell outside, some got stuck inside. Locals gathered to help the occupants. We also informed the police, but help came very late.”
The police have recovered some books and identity cards from the car. The students were pursuing BBA and were on their way for an exam for which they were carrying admit cards and books. All the seven were first year students and were to appear for their second semester exam.
“The students first assembled at Rajat’s residence in East Punjabi Bagh, Delhi, and then left together. It is still unclear how they lost control of the wheel. We have accessed footage from CCTV cameras installed in the area to see if their were speeding. It appears that the car was being driven at least at the speed of 100km per hour,” a police officer said.
