A speeding SUV crossed the divider on Kolkata’s Maa Flyover and collided with an oncoming car near Hindu Cemetery in the Topsia area on Saturday morning, seriously injuring both drivers and disrupting traffic for about an hour. A child travelling in the car with his parents escaped with facial injuries and scratches.
The collision took place at around 8 am as the SUV was travelling from the Park Circus side. According to the report, the driver lost control of the vehicle, which crossed the divider and struck the car coming from the opposite direction. The impact severely damaged both vehicles and caused their airbags to deploy.
The car was carrying New Town residents Anirban Banerjee, his wife Swarnali Banerjee and their child, who were travelling to a school in Park Street. The school had scheduled the child’s examination results and a parent-teacher meeting for Saturday. The left side of their car was badly damaged in the crash.
Police said Banerjee suffered serious injuries to several parts of his body and was admitted to Fortis Hospital. The child sustained facial injuries and scratches and was reported to be shaken after the collision. The SUV driver, identified as Gopal Choudhury and reported to be a resident of Rajarhat, was admitted to SSKM Hospital.
Personnel from Topsia police station reached the site after being informed about the crash and arranged for the injured people to be taken to hospital. Police seized both damaged vehicles and moved them to the police station as part of the investigation.
The preliminary police inquiry indicated that the SUV driver may have lost control of the vehicle. Police were also examining whether the driver was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash. That aspect of the inquiry had not been established in the report.
The crash affected traffic on the Maa Flyover as well as the road below it. Vehicle movement was disrupted for approximately one hour, resulting in a long traffic jam in the area. The police investigation, including examination of the seized vehicles and the circumstances leading to the loss of control, is continuing.
