Pregnant woman among 3 injured as ambulance hits five vehicles

NEW DELHI: Three people, including a 40-year-old pregnant woman and her 65-year-old mother-in-law, were injured after an allegedly speeding CATS ambulance rammed at least five vehicles before overturning on Mehrauli-badarpur (MB) Road in south Delhi’s Khanpur on Thursday morning. The ambulance driver was among the injured, police said.

Police said the pregnant woman, Jasoda, delivered a baby at a hospital in Jamia Nagar where she was admitted after the accident. The condition of Jasoda and her newborn baby is “out of danger”. The other two injured – Bhaneshwari,65, and ambulance driver (name not known) -- are also out of danger, the police said.

Police suspect that the ambulance driver dozed off and lost control on the vehicle. They are yet to record his statement.

A police officer said Jasoda was being taken to ESI hospital in Okhla in a Centralised Ambulance Trauma Services (CATS) ambulance from her home in Mandi village near Fatehpur Beri in south Delhi after she went into labour. Her mother-in-law was in the ambulance as her attendant.

On the way near Khanpur T-point, the ambulance driver lost control and hit three cars, including a cab, waiting at the traffic signal. Eyewitnesses told the police that the ambulance driver took a sudden right turn in a bid to control the vehicle. However, the ambulance hit two more vehicles and then overturned on the road.

Some passersby, locals rescued the injured persons and rushed them to AIIMS Trauma Centre. The pregnant lady was later shifted to a private hospital in Jamia Nagar where she delivered a baby.

Deputy commissioner of police (south) Atul Kumar Thakur said that a case of rash driving and causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others was registered under sections 279 and 337 of Indian Penal Code at the Saket police station.

“The overturned ambulance was removed from the accident spot,” he said.