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Tribune News Service
Mohali, September 8
Four persons were killed while eight others sustained injuries when a speeding SUV, Brezza, hit an overloaded auto-rickshaw at the Sector 70, 71, Phase 7 and 3B2 crossing this morning.
The incident occurred around 7.30 am. The deceased have been identified as Umesh Yadav (30), Suleiman, Gulab Sheikh (48) and Jhunu Paswan (30), all residents of Bettiah district in Bihar. Those injured are Mantosh, Satinder Paswan, Chander Paswan, Raju Paswan, Nadu Paswan, Haider Ali and Bhim Paswan, all migrants, and auto-rickshaw driver Ashwani Kumar, a resident of Gwala Colony in Maloya, Chandigarh.
The impact of the accident was so strong that the auto-rickshaw and the front portion of the SUV were badly damaged.
According to an eyewitness, the auto-rickshaw, carrying 12 persons, including the driver, was coming from Sector 17 and heading towards Mataur, while the SUV, being driven by 19-year-old Darshpreet Singh, was coming from the Kumbhra Chowk side. Darshpreet, along with his acquaintances, was coming from Shimla and was going to Moga.
“The impact of the collision was such that three passengers of the auto-rickshaw were flung several feet into the air and hit the pavement along the road,” said a woman, who was out for a walk with her dog and saw the accident.According to the police, Jhunu and Gulab died on the spot. The injured were shifted to the Civil Hospital at Phase 6. Nadu and Suleiman were referred to the PGI while Umesh was referred to the GMSH, Sector 16, in a critical condition.
The occupants of the SUV escaped with minor injuries as the airbags of the vehicle deployed. Mataur SHO Inspector Rajiv Kumar said Darshpreet Singh of Kokri Buttran vilkage in Moga, has been arrested. “He is a student and was preparing for IELTS,” he said.
Harinder, brother of one of the deceased, Jhunu, was waiting for him at the spot where the accident occurred. On his complaint, a case has been registered at the Mataur police station. One of the victims said all of them alighted from a train at Chandigarh and went to the ISBT-17 from where they took an auto.
Auto-rickshaw was overloaded
The auto-rickshaw, being driven by Maloya resident Ashwani Kumar, was overloaded with 12 persons. “All of them were migrants, who were returning from their native place. All of them were residing at Mataur village. Some of the passengers were accommodated by the driver on his seat. It seems the auto-driver could not see the SUV or was not able to judge its speed,” said the police.
Traffic lights weren’t working
According to a resident living nearby, the traffic lights were not working at the time of the accident. “I heard a loud noise and came out on the road to see what had happened. It was a disturbing sight as the injured persons were lying on the road and the pavement. They were shifted to the Civil Hospital,” said the resident, who wished not to be identified.
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