A 24-year-old woman accused of running over and killing a 55-year-old LIC agent in Kanpur has said she panicked after encountering people on a pothole-filled road and pressed the accelerator instead of the brake. The crash took place on Saturday evening in the Awas Vikas 3 area of Kalyanpur, according to a report by the Times of India.
Geeta Sachan, who was allegedly driving a Mahindra Thar, said she swerved to avoid people approaching from the left before losing control. She claimed that she was not under the influence of alcohol or any other substance and that the SUV was not travelling at high speed.
“The road is full of potholes—we usually avoid taking that route,” Sachan was quoted as saying. She said that after swerving in response to people on the road, she pressed the accelerator instead of the brake in panic. According to her account, the vehicle struck two people before colliding with another object and coming to a stop.
The victim, identified as Santosh Singh Chauhan, was returning home after going out to buy a saree for his wife. He was reportedly about 500 metres from his home when the SUV hit his scooter. The impact dragged Chauhan and the scooter for around 20 metres before the Thar crashed into a green area outside a house.
Residents said the SUV first hit the house of Professor Kailash and then collided with the boundary wall of Anita Mahevan’s house. Chauhan, who lived in Swaraj Nagar in Panki, was identified by his son, Rahul. The son told the Times of India that his father had left home saying he would return shortly.
The incident has brought attention to the condition of the road and the absence of adequate street lighting in the area. Sachan’s lawyer, Advocate Anant Kumar Sharma, described the incident as an accident and said his client had no intention of causing anyone’s death. He attributed the crash to the presence of potholes and poor lighting, while also arguing that the sections applied by police did not reflect the nature of the incident.
Sachan was granted bail last week after furnishing a personal bond of Rs 25,000 and an undertaking, the report said. Her lawyer urged the public not to make inappropriate comments about the court order and said anyone challenging it could pursue legal remedies, including a revision petition or an appeal.
The police case, the court proceedings and any official assessment of the road condition will determine the next steps in the matter. The available account does not establish whether the road authority has ordered repairs or a safety inspection at the site.
