Goa Thar Crash Update: Bhopal Tourist Dead, Locals Allege Bid To Shield Woman Driver

Goa Thar Crash Update: Bhopal Tourist Dead, Locals Allege Bid To Shield Woman Driver

An FIR has been registered in the Goa Thar crash that killed a Bhopal tourist, as police probe fresh allegations of a “driver switch.” The rented Mahindra Thar had rammed a Hyundai i20 at Assagao’s Happy Bar Junction. While the accused was named in the FIR, locals claim a woman was driving and was shielded after the crash.

Aleesha SamUpdated: Wednesday, February 25, 2026, 04:22 PM IST
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A viral video of a Mahindra Thar crash in Goa has taken a fresh turn, with allegations of a possible “driver switch” now under police investigation.

The accident, which occurred on February 23 at Happy Bar Junction in Assagao, involved a Thar SUV ramming into a Hyundai i20, resulting in the death of an elderly man.

19-Year-Old Delhi Youth Named In FIR

According to report published in NDTV a FIR has been registered in the case which mentioned, 19-year-old Shaurya Goyal from Hauz Khas, Delhi, was driving the rented Thar from Mapusa to Anjuna in a “rash and negligent manner without proper care and caution, endangering human life.”

The crash claimed the life of Bhagat Ram Sharma, who died on the spot. Two other passengers sustained minor injuries, while a five-month-old infant in the vehicle remained unharmed.

Police have seized the vehicle (GA-03-V-5695) and registered a case of rash and negligent driving causing death.

‘Driver Switch’ Allegations Surface

In a new development, locals have alleged that the accident involved a red-coloured rental Thar carrying four occupants one man and three women.

According to another report in India Today, Eyewitnesses claimed that immediately after the crash, the man allegedly moved into the driver’s seat to shield a woman who was purportedly driving at the time of the accident.

Police have not officially confirmed these claims. Authorities are examining forensic evidence, eyewitness accounts, and video footage to establish the exact sequence of events.

Viral Video Shows Accused In Panic

Soon after the accident, videos from the scene went viral on social media. In one clip, Goyal is allegedly heard speaking to his father over the phone, visibly shaken and panting.

“Papa main gaadi chala raha tha… chauraha pe doosri gaadi aa rahi thi. Papa, suddenly ho gaya crash,” he is heard saying in the video.

The investigation is ongoing.