3 killed as truck runs into crowd

NEWDELHI: Three men were killed and two others were injured after they were hit by a speeding truck being driven by an inebriated driver in northeast’s Shastri Park on Sunday midnight.

The five were among 15 to 20 locals, who had assembled on the road to help and check on the occupants of an auto-rickshaw, which was hit by a speeding car from behind, a couple of minutes before the truck hit them, the police said.

Deputy commissioner of police (northeast) Atul Kumar Thakur said the truck driver, identified as Manohar Lal, 30, was caught from the mishap spot by the Shastri Park police station’s personnel with the help of locals.

According to the police, the five injured men were rushed to Sushruta Trauma Centre where two of them, identified as Chander,53, and Zahid Hussain,40, were declared brought dead. Jamil Ahmed,45, remained critical and died Monday evening. Two others Danish, 20, and Mehraj, 26, who suffered minor injuries were sent home after treatment.

All the three deceased worked as labourers. While Chander and Hussain’s bodies were handed over to their families after autopsy Ahmed’s body would be sent for an autopsy on Tuesday, the police said.

DCP Thakur said Lal’s medical examination report confirmed that he was drunk while driving the heavy vehicle. The truck was half-loaded with soft drink bottles and was impounded, he said.

A case has been registered against Lal at the Shastri Park police station. He was booked for rash and negligent driving and culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Sections 279 and 304 of the Indian Penal Code respectively.

“We charged him with 304 and not 304 A because he was driving under the influence of alcohol and at a high speed. The area where the mishap took place was properly lit and there were not one but many people standing on the road. Instead of driving slowly and taking care of the safety of pedestrians and other motorists, the truck driver was driving recklessly, which claimed three lives and left two others injured,” said Thakur.

Police said the two accidents took place within a gap of two to three minutes, near the Dharampura traffic signal on the carriageway going towards Dilshad Garden from Kashmere Gate. Around midnight, an auto rickshaw ferrying four members of a family towards Seelampur was hit by an allegedly speeding car.