Jaipur: One pedestrian lost his life, and 14 others sustained injuries after a speeding Audi car rammed into them in Rajasthan’s Jaipur, police said on Saturday.
The incident took place on Friday night when the luxury car allegedly went out of control. The vehicle first struck a divider and then crashed into roadside stalls and food carts over a stretch of nearly 30 metres before hitting a tree and coming to a halt, the police officials said.
Several parked vehicles were also damaged in the accident. Officials said the impact was so severe that the Audi was left completely mangled.
The speeding car mowed down 13 pedestrians, all of whom were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Of the injured, four were initially stated to be in a critical condition and were referred to Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital for advanced care.
DCP West Rajarshi Verma said, “An Audi car was coming from Vande Mataram Circle towards Dharvas Circle and was overspeeding. It hit some roadside stalls, causing one casualty. At least 12 people are still in the hospital for treatment. All the injured are out of danger, and none are in critical condition. Besides the driver, three other people were in the car. One has been detained, and the remaining three have been identified and will be apprehended soon.”
He added that preliminary information points to overspeeding as the main cause of the accident, though the possibility of drinking and driving is still being verified.
One of the injured, identified as Ramesh Bairwa, a resident of Bhilwara, succumbed to his injuries during treatment.
Officials said there were four people inside the car, all of whom were allegedly under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.
While one person has been arrested, the remaining three fled the scene soon after the incident.
The driver of the Audi has been identified as Dinesh Ranwan.
The vehicle involved in the accident has been seized, and police teams are conducting searches to trace and arrest the remaining accused.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma expressed grief over the incident and directed officials to ensure that the injured were provided proper medical treatment.
Deputy Chief Minister Premchand Bairwa and Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar also visited the hospital to enquire about the condition of those injured in the crash.
Speaking to IANS, Deputy CM Prem Chand Bairwa said, “At the site, there were some roadside stalls and vegetable carts. A car with four occupants, bearing a different registration number, had arrived there. The occupants have been identified, and initial investigations are underway.”
He confirmed that one person had died in the incident and that the remaining injured were undergoing treatment at SMS Hospital.
He further said that details related to the speed of the car, whether the driver was under the influence of alcohol, and other circumstances surrounding the accident are being examined by the police.
Minister of the Medical and Health Department, Gajendra Singh Khimsar, speaking to IANS, said, “I received a call from the Chief Minister, who was very concerned. He instructed me to go immediately and submit a report. He mentioned that one person has died and the situation is somewhat critical, though not extremely so. The rest are admitted across three hospitals and are receiving treatment. The police are also investigating the ownership of the vehicle and who was driving.”
Further investigation into the incident is underway.
(IANS)
