India: Four die in a car accident trying to breach the 300 kmph speed barrier
The container into which the car rammed
A combination of sheer arrogance and negligencehas led to the death of four people on the Purvanchal Expressway in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
Reportedly, the four friends were travelling in a BMW car at speeds as high as 230 km/hr to Delhi when they rammed into a container truck. One of the co-passenger in the car started a Facebook Live where he showed thecar racing through the highway with others excitedly saying that the speedometer may next breach the 300 km/hr mark.
The friends constantly egged the driver to chase the 300km/hr mark and told him to not brake and keep at it.
However, in what can be termed as a prophecy coming true, moments before the disaster, one of the friends can he heard saying "charo marenge (all four of us will die)". Soon enough, tragedy strikes and the four men die on the spot.
After the news of the accident was communicated, the police andUttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) officials reached the spot, only to find thepummeled car in a heap and the blood-smeared bodies of the passengers and driver, squished beyond range for a naked-eye identification.
So far, the authorities have identified three of the four people. The car was reportedly being driven by 35-year-old Dr Anand Prakash who was a professor in a medical college in the Eastern Indian state of Bihar and resided in the city of Dehri. Akhilesh Singh (35), and Deepak Kumar (37) are the other two deceased while the identity of the fourth is yet to be confirmed.
According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report, deaths by road accidents in India have increased by almost 17 per cent in 2021 compared to 2020.
In 2021, 155,000died in accidents on Indian roads, up from 133,000 in 2020, when much of the year saw a nationwide lockdown. Totalroad accidents reported were 403,000 in 2021, up from 354,000 the year before.
The highest number of road accidents every year is attributed to negligent driving and speeding.
(With inputs from agencies)
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