A Delhi dumper crash near Pushta No. 5 in Sonia Vihar killed two people and injured six others early Thursday, after a speeding truck rammed into an autorickshaw carrying eight occupants in northeast Delhi’s Chauhan Patti. The dumper driver fled the spot, and police have registered a case while searching for him.
The collision took place around 5 am as the passengers were returning to their homes after Diwali celebrations. Satbir, 32, who worked on a packaging machine at a factory in Tronica City, was travelling with his wife Moni, 26, and their six-month-old daughter Kanika. Satbir died in the crash, while Moni and the infant were injured and taken for treatment.
Raja, 32, and his wife Rakhi, 26, were also travelling in the autorickshaw. The couple, originally from Bhupkheri in Ghaziabad and living in Chauhan Patti, were heading to Delhi for a medical check-up connected with Rakhi’s pregnancy. Rakhi, who was six months pregnant, suffered serious injuries and subsequently lost her unborn child, family members said. The couple have a one-year-old son.
The impact left the autorickshaw mangled. The injured were initially taken to Jag Pravesh Chandra Hospital, with several later referred to GTB Hospital and Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital. A six-month-old girl was among those injured.
Police said a forensic team inspected the crash site and investigators were examining CCTV footage and questioning local residents to establish how the collision occurred. The investigation is also focused on tracing the dumper driver, who allegedly escaped after the crash.
Residents alleged that dumper trucks frequently travel on the wrong side of Pushta Road, raising concerns about the safety of a route used by local residents and commercial vehicles. Pankaj, a local resident, also alleged that illegal autorickshaws and other commercial vehicles operate in the area without valid documents, fitness certificates, permits and other mandatory requirements. “Such accidents have happened earlier as well. The traffic police officers are responsible for allowing these vehicles to operate,” he alleged.
The allegations have not been independently established in the supplied report. They point, however, to two separate enforcement questions now surrounding the crash: whether heavy vehicles are being controlled on the road and whether passenger vehicles operating in the area meet mandatory safety and documentation requirements.
Police have registered a case and launched a search for the absconding driver. CCTV examination, forensic findings and statements from injured passengers and residents are expected to help establish the circumstances leading to the collision.
