A Fortuner SUV mounted a footpath near Akshar Hospital and Devsya School in Ahmedabad’s Nikol area on the night of November 2, killing two people and injuring two others, according to the I Division Traffic Police. Police said the driver, identified as 36-year-old Viral Savjibhai Chaudhary, was detained after the crash and that two beer cans were recovered from the vehicle.
The incident took place at about 9.30 pm near a footpath where migrant workers selling traditional clothing were resting. The Fortuner, bearing registration number GJ18EF4060, allegedly struck people on the footpath before hitting a young man against a wall, the report said.
I Division Traffic Police inspector S.I. Sumara said four people were injured in the crash. Two of them later died during treatment. The deceased were identified as Poonamben Jitendrabhai Nagwadia and her 15-year-old son, Sagar Jitendrabhai Nagwadia. Karthikbhai and an unidentified woman were reported to be seriously injured and under treatment.
Police said the driver was taken to hospital for medical examination and testing for intoxication after local residents allegedly caught and assaulted him while he was attempting to leave the scene. The police account said two beer cans were found inside the SUV. The report also said the driver had been taken for medical care after suffering injuries in the assault.
A case has been registered against Chaudhary under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, relating to culpable homicide, along with provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act. The police statement did not establish the final outcome of the medical examination or specify the exact sections under the Motor Vehicles Act.
The vehicle had also previously received an electronic speeding notice, according to the report. Traffic police issued the e-challan on February 26, 2026, after the Fortuner was allegedly recorded speeding near Karai Cut on the S.P. Ring Road. The report did not provide the speed recorded in that earlier incident or state whether any further enforcement action followed.
The crash has again placed attention on the vulnerability of people using Ahmedabad’s footpaths as living, working and resting spaces. In this case, the affected family was reportedly selling clothing from the footpath, where the vehicle left the carriageway and entered a space meant to separate pedestrians from traffic. The immediate police investigation will determine the circumstances of the collision, the driver’s medical findings and the charges that will proceed in court.
Police said legal action against the driver is under way. The injured victims remain under treatment, while the investigation will examine the crash, the vehicle’s speed, the driver’s condition and the earlier speeding record.
