Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A road accident claimed the life of 29-year-old Shantanu Agnihotri in the early hours of Monday on Bhopal’s VIP Road. His speeding car crashed into the rear of a container truck near the Raja Bhoj statue around 5 a.m., leaving him fatally injured, said Koh-e-Fiza police.
According to police station in-charge K.G. Shukla, deceased Shantanu Agnihotri was driving a black SUV at the time of the incident. The vehicle’s airbags deployed during the impact, but the collision was so severe that the front portion of the car was completely mangled.
Passersby and police officials worked strenuously to extricate him from the wreckage. He was rushed to Hamidia Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
Agnihotri, a resident of Danish Kunj in Kolar, had recently returned to India after completing his studies at the International Institute of Hotel Management in New Zealand.
Family members said he had been planning to start a gardening business in Bhopal. His father, Sanjeev Agnihotri, is employed as a programmer with the Mandi Board.
Relatives revealed in their police statements that on Sunday, Shantanu had attended a memorial service for his late grandfather before heading out to meet friends on Airport Road. The fatal accident occurred while he was returning home in the early hours of Monday.
TI Shukla confirmed that the victim was alone in the car. “The vehicle’s front was completely destroyed, trapping him between the dashboard and the seat. He was rescued with great difficulty and taken to the hospital, but could not be saved,” Shukla said.
Police have registered a case and launched further investigation to determine the sequence of events leading to the crash, said TI Shukla.
