Indore (Madhya Pradesh): As many as five people were injured after a speeding loading vehicle driven by an intoxicated man struck multiple commuters and pedestrians on Khandwa Road under Bhanwarkuan police station limits on Monday afternoon.
The vehicle continued its path of destruction for nearly 100 meters before finally crashing into the boundary wall of a private school which was captured in CCTV footage.
The accident occurred near Radha Soami Satsang at 12:00 pm while the vehicle was heading toward IT Park Square from the Tejaji Nagar Bypass. Of the five injured, three are reported to be in critical condition and have been admitted to the ICU.
According to witnesses, the vehicle first rear-ended a car. Instead of braking, the driver, identified as Gajendra Prajapat (45) of Labariya Bheru, accelerated, hitting several more vehicles and pedestrians. The rampage ended only when the vehicle slammed into a school wall.
Victims were en route to job interview
Bhanwarkuan police station in-charge Rajkumar Yadav said that the injured have been identified as Bhagirath Shukla (55) and his daughter Chetna (25), residents of Kasturba Gram; Rahul Singh and his wife Lalita, residents of Piplyahana; and another individual named Govardhan Lal (55).
Bhagirath, a security guard at the Kasturbagram Rural Institute, was taking Chetna to Mhow Naka for a job interview when the accident occurred.
Narrow escape for parents and students
The incident took place just as the school was closing for the day, with many parents waiting outside. CCTV footage from the school gate captured the terrifying moment the vehicle plowed into the crowd.
"I was stationed at the gate when I saw the vehicle racing toward us recklessly. I barely managed to jump out of the way to save my life," said Dinesh Damodar, a school security guard. Local residents expressed outrage, saying that repeated complaints regarding speeding and illegal parking in the area have long been ignored by authorities.
Action against vehicle owner too
Following the crash, an angry mob caught the driver and reportedly thrashed him before handing him over to the police.
TI Yadav said that the police arrested the driver, whose medical examination confirmed he was inebriated at the time of the accident. Police have seized the vehicle and registered a case against Prajapat under relevant sections of BNS and Motor Vehicles Act. The police are also registering a case against the vehicle owner Dilip Saini of Indra Nagar.
