The driver, identified as Rakshit Chaurasia, is a law student at a university in Vadodara and a resident of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. He has been arrested.
A woman was killed on the spot and four others were injured after a speeding car crashed into their two-wheelers in Gujarat’s Vadodara city in the early hours of Friday, police said. The accident took place around 12.30 am near Muktanand Crossroads in the Karelibaug area. The car was being driven by Rakshit Chaurasia, a 20-year-old law student, who has since been arrested, said Deputy Commissioner of Police Panna Momaya. Police suspect it to be a case of drunk driving. Eyewitnesses told police that Chaurasia appeared intoxicated and was heard shouting “another round, another round” after stepping out of the car. He was later handed over to the police by bystanders who thrashed him at the scene.
The deceased woman, identified as Hemani Patel, had stepped out with her minor daughter to buy Holi colours. She died on the spot. Three others, including the child, were rushed to a nearby hospital.
Chaurasia, originally from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, lives in a PG accommodation in Vadodara and is pursuing a law degree from a local university. The car involved in the accident belongs to his friend, Mit Chauhan, who was seated in the co-driver’s seat at the time. “Chaurasia rammed the car into multiple two-wheelers at high speed while heading towards Muktanand Circle,” said DCP Momaya. Chauhan is also being investigated, and efforts are on to trace him.
In a video recorded by an eyewitness, he is seen getting out of the car and distancing himself from the incident, claiming Chaurasia was driving. Another video shows Chaurasia shouting incoherently, repeatedly yelling “another round?” as he walks along the road after the crash.
CCTV footage shows the speeding car ramming into two scooters, knocking down the riders and dragging them along before coming to a halt. “Primarily, it appears to be a case of overspeeding, possibly under the influence of alcohol. A medical test will confirm whether Chaurasia was drunk at the time,” said Momaya, adding that he holds a valid driving licence.
(With inputs from PTI)