NEW DELHI: Two persons were killed and three others, including a six-month pregnant woman and a child, injured after a speeding car driven by a 19-year-old boy hit a bicycle and crashed into a roadside shanty on Pankha Road in West Delhi early Thursday. Police said the accused driver, Harsh Sehrawat, was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.
The incident took place around 3.30 am in the Janakpuri police station area.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Vichitra Veer, Sehrawat, a resident of Pochanpur village in Dwarka, was returning from Gurugram with a friend,
Pankaj, after attending a social event. The two were allegedly driving around in search of a dhaba when the accident took place, said police.
According to officials, the car first hit two men riding a bicycle, then veered off the road and rammed into a makeshift dwelling where a family was sleeping. One of the deceased, Phool Singh (30), made a living selling chutney and masalas. He was run over while sleeping in the shanty. His wife Soni (25), who is six months pregnant, and their nephew Vishal (5), were injured and are undergoing treatment, said police.
Another injured person has been identified as Kuldeep (28). “Soni’s unborn child is safe for now, but if her condition doesn’t improve, we fear for her life too,” said the victim’s relatives. The second deceased, Anis Ansari (40), was returning from his job as a security guard in a Mayapuri factory when the vehicle hit his bicycle. Locals alleged that Ansari was dragged for several metres before the vehicle came to a halt after crashing into a motorcycle.
A local resident who lives in a nearby shanty said, “We didn’t hear anything when the car first hit the cycle. But when it rammed into the shanty, the sound woke us up. People ran to the spot and helped pull the victims out.”
Locals claimed the vehicle had two occupants, both of whom were allegedly very drunk. They said they managed to pull the duo out of the car and handed them over to police. Police confirmed that Sehrawat had a valid driving licence and tested positive for alcohol during a medical examination. Legal action is being taken, officials said, adding that the accused driver has been apprehended and is being questioned.