Truck driver and helper detained in connection with accident of Yamuna Eway

A truck driver was arrested in Firozabad by police on Monday night for his alleged involvement in a crash on the Yamuna Expressway early Sunday morning that killed a 75-year-old woman and injured seven others, officers said on Tuesday. 

The truck driver, Sonu, 30, a resident of Firozabad, was taken into custody, police said. The incident took place at 3.45am on Sunday near the 8-kilometre mark of the Yamuna Expressway under Dankaur police station jurisdiction. 

According to a senior police officer, the deceased and her group were travelling in four cars from Vrindavan to Dwarka. “Around 3.45am, a MUV ferrying the deceased stopped on the roadside. The other cars, including a car carrying the deceased’s sisters, also stopped,” said the officer. 

As of now, it remains unclear if the stationary cars had their hazard lights on, police said. They added that during interrogation, the truck driver alleged a speeding bus passed by his truck, causing him to veer off and lose control, following which the vehicle collided with the cars.

The truck then rammed into the stationary MUV, causing it to climb onto the expressway railing before hitting two other cars ferrying the group. “The collision was so intense that one car’s roof was crushed,” the officer added. 

The victim, Dr Vishakha Tripathi, 75, a resident of Sector 10, Dwarka, New Delhi, and daughter of the late religious leader Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj, succumbed to injuries at a nearby hospital, police said. 

Seven others were injured in the crash, including Vishakha’s sisters, Dr Krishana Tripathi, 67, and Dr Shyama Tripathi, 69; driver Sanjay Malik, 57, of Pratapgarh; and acquaintances Hansha Patel, 56, Kashmira Patel, 53, and Januka Khadka, 40, from Mathura. Another injured individual, Deepak Patel, 35, from Delhi, is also undergoing treatment. All are in the intensive care unit of a private New Delhi hospital, police said. 

Locals helped rush the injured to a nearby hospital, where Vishakha was declared dead during treatment. Greater Noida additional deputy commissioner of police Ashok Kumar said the injured were later transferred to a New Delhi hospital for advanced care. 

A case has been registered against the truck driver under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including 281 (rash driving), 125(a) (endangering safety), 106(1) (causing death by negligence), and 324(2) (mischief). “Further investigation is underway. A police team brought the suspects from their native town, and their statements will be recorded soon,” said Kumar.