Speeding vehicle kills cyclist on EPE, locals ‘took pictures instead of helping’

Some of the villagers arrived at the scene to help, but a majority of people there were busy clicking pictures of the accident.

SACHIN RATHOR, eyewitness

GHAZIABAD: A 47-year-old man on a bicycle was killed after he was hit by a speeding car on the newly opened Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) in Ghaziabad on Saturday morning.

Eyewitnesses said that instead of immediately helping the victim, locals who arrived at the spot started taking photographs with their cellphones.

The police said the victim, Kanti Tyagi from Bhadoli village, was on his way to Duhai in Ghaziabad on a bicycle when he was hit by a speeding Maruti Brezza SUV at around 6.30am. Police officials said 47-year-old Tyagi had recently quit his security guard job due to health issues.

“We were nearly 500m from spot where the man was hit by the Brezza car, which was bearing a Haryana registration number. The car hit the cyclist as he was trying to cross the road. The car appeared to be travelling at speeds well above 120kmph. The bonnet of the car was flipped open in the accident and blinded the driver. He stopped the car and villagers snatched away his keys. However, the driver somehow still managed to turn on the ignition and sped away. There were five passengers in the car,” said Sachin Rathor, a cyclist from Ghaziabad.

“Some of the villagers arrived at the scene for help, but a majority of people there were busy clicking pictures of the accident. I dialled the ambulance for help. The ambulance arrived after around 15 minutes,” he said.

Rathor said that after repeated calls, an ambulance arrived at the accident spot and took the victim to a private hospital.

The victim was later taken to Sanjay Nagar Combined Hospital for treatment, police officials said. “The man succumbed to injuries at the Sanjay Nagar Combined Government Hospital. Accidents frequently take place on the expressway as the tolls have not started being applied and vehicles drive fast. The victim’s family has forwarded a complaint. We have sent the body for post-mortem,” said Ranvir Singh, SHO, Muradnagar.

The 135km-long EPE was inaugurated on March 27 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, the National Highways Authority of India is yet to make tolls operational.