2 dead, one hurt as speeding truck rams two cars near AIIMS

A 51-year-old property dealer and his driver were killed, while his wife was critically injured after a speeding truck allegedly crashed into his car near AIIMS in South Extension late on Saturday.

A police officer said the impact of the collision was such that the bonnet of the car, in which property dealer Dilip Dutta, his 48-year-old driver Ravi Kumar, and wife Seema Dutta, 47, were travelling in was severely mangled. The driver of the truck, bearing a Rajasthan registration number, fled the spot.

The car’s safety airbags had popped out and burst because of the impact, killing the property dealer and his driver. The two were seated on the front seats at the time of the accident, said the officer .

Police said Seema was sitting on the rear seat and suffered multiple fractures. She is undergoing treatment at AIIMS Trauma Centre where her condition was said to be critical.

The truck also hit a newly-purchased SUV in which four men were travelling. All the passengers escaped unhurt even as the SUV was badly damaged too.

Deputy commissioner of police (south) Vijay Kumar said the accident took place around 11.30pm when the couple was headed towards Lajpat Nagar-II after attending a wedding in Mayapuri. Eyewitnesses told the police that the truck was moving in the carriageway towards Safdarjung Hospital at a very high speed. As the truck reached the South Extension underpass, the driver lost control of the vehicle.

“The speeding truck jumped the road divider and had a head-on collision with the car. The SUV, which was moving on the car’s right, also crashed into the truck. The back of the truck got stuck in the road divider. It seems like the driver had dozed off,” DCP Kumar said.

Police said the Dutta, his wife and driver were stuck in the car and it took them about 20 minutes to rescue the trio. They were rushed to AIIMS where Dutta and Kumar were declared brought dead.

Dutta is survived by his wife and two daughters – Ukti and Ridham. “Dilip [Dutta] was in the readymade garment business, which he had to shut down because his shop was sealed around two years ago. Though he lost his well established business, Dilip never gave up hope,” said Subhash Malhotra, Dutta’s brother-in-law, adding that the family was informed about the accident by hospital authorities.

Ravi Kumar had been employed as Dilip’s driver since last Diwali. He is survived by his wife, Sunita, and their 16-year-old son whom he had adopted from his brother. The family lives in south Delhi’s Madangir.

A case of rash driving, death by negligence and causing hurt by endangering life or personal safety of others was registered at the Kotla Mubarakpur police station.

Police said they have established the truck’s ownership and a team has been sent to Rajasthan to identify and nab the accused.