The driver accused of killing a woman and her son after driving a Toyota Fortuner onto a footpath near Devsya Circle in Ahmedabad’s Nikol area was found to have tested positive for alcohol, according to a forensic blood report cited by Sandesh. Police have also reportedly recovered six sealed beer cans from the vehicle.
The crash took place in the eastern part of the city when the Fortuner allegedly went out of control and mounted the footpath near Devsya Circle. A woman and her son, who were at the roadside while selling sofa covers, suffered fatal injuries in the collision. Another woman was seriously injured, while one of the injured people was discharged after receiving initial treatment, the report said.
Police had collected a blood sample from the driver, identified as Viral Chaudhary, and sent it for forensic examination. Sandesh reported that the blood report returned positive for alcohol. The report did not provide the test value, the time at which the sample was collected or details of the specific forensic findings.
The police also searched the seized Fortuner after the crash and allegedly found around six sealed beer cans inside it. Nikol police subsequently registered a separate case under the prohibition law for possession of alcohol, in addition to the criminal proceedings connected with the deaths and injuries.
According to the report, Chaudhary operates a steel-engineering business in the Bakrol area. Preliminary police inquiry cited by Sandesh found no previous criminal history recorded against him. Police are pursuing action under applicable motor vehicle, criminal and prohibition laws following the positive blood report.
The crash has also raised questions about the safety of the footpath and traffic management at Devsya Circle. Local residents told the publication that accidents have occurred repeatedly near the junction and alleged that the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation had not installed speed breakers or taken sufficient protective measures at the location.
Residents reportedly gathered after the crash and expressed anger towards both the police and the municipal corporation. Their concerns combine two separate enforcement and design issues: preventing intoxicated driving and protecting people who use footpaths or conduct small roadside businesses from vehicles leaving the carriageway.
The reported recovery of alcohol from the vehicle and the positive blood test have added a new evidentiary element to the investigation. The police case will now include the forensic result and the alleged possession of beer cans as authorities continue legal proceedings against the driver. The report did not state whether the municipal corporation had announced a specific redesign, speed-control measure or safety audit for Devsya Circle.
