Chandigarh, Mar, 15
A woman was killed on the spot and four others sustained injuries when a speeding car driven by a 20-year-old law student crashed into their two-wheelers in Gujarat’s Vadodara city in the early hours of Friday.
Accused Rakshit Ravish Chaurasia claims, ” We were going ahead of the scooty, we were turning right and there was a pothole on the road. There was a scooty and a car while we were turning right… The car slightly touched the other vehicle and the airbag opened suddenly, our vision was hampered and the car went out of control. We were going at 50 km/hour. There were no people at that time, just a scooter and a car…I had no idea. I did not do any party, I went for Holika Dahan and was not drunk… Today, I was told that one woman has died and a few have sustained injuries. I want to meet the family of the victims, it is my fault and whatever they want that should happen…”
The accident occurred around 12.30 am near Muktanand cross roads in the Karelibaug area following which the driver, Rakshit Chaurasiya, was arrested, said Deputy Commissioner of Police Panna Momaya.
It could be a case of drunk driving as eyewitnesses, who caught Chaurasiya at the scene, told the police that he appeared intoxicated and was screaming “another round, another round” after coming out of the car, the official said.
The deceased woman has been identified as Hemali Patel, who was riding her scooter at the time of the accident.
Chaurasiya, who originally hails from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, is a law student and lives in a PG accommodation here, Momaya told reporters.
“The car belonged to his friend Mit Chauhan, who was sitting in the co-driver’s seat when Chaurasiya rammed the car into some two-wheelers at full speed while going towards Muktanand circle,” she said.
In a video captured by an eyewitness, Chauhan comes out of the car, with a wrecked front portion, and starts blaming Chaurasiya for the crash.
Chaurasiya, who appears incoherent, keeps shouting, “Another round? Another round?”. The video shows Chaurasiya getting thrashed by bystanders, who subsequently handed him over to the police.
In CCTV footage accessed by media, the speeding car can be seen hitting two scooters, knocking down the riders and dragging them along before coming to a halt.
“Primarily, the car was overspeeding. This can also be a case of drunk driving. We will conduct his medical test to determine whether he was under the influence of alcohol,” said DCP, adding that Chaurasiya does have a driving licence.
