A 22-year-old man reportedly learning driving went on a rampage, mowing down five people and killing a vegetable vendor with a Hyundai Creta in Issa Nagri, police said on Thursday. The car dragged the scooter-borne vendor for several metres before running him over and continued hitting commuters until it crashed into parked two-wheelers nearly 50 meters away.
The police have arrested the driver, identified as Tamanjot Singh, 22, a resident of Field Ganj. Another occupant managed to escape from the spot.
The car went out of control around 8.15 am. It first hit a scooter-borne vegetable vendor and dragged him along with his vehicle for a considerable distance before running him over. The accused continued driving, hitting other people along the way.
The victim has been identified as Jagtar Singh, alias Gosha, 55, a resident of Sasrali Colony in Boothgarh. He had been selling vegetables in the area for nearly 20 years, according to local residents.
Eyewitnesses said the car was traveling at high speed when the driver panicked upon encountering the crowd in the market and lost control. “The car first hit the vegetable vendor and dragged him along with his scooter. It then continued hitting people on the road,” eyewitness Ramesh Bangar said.
According to Bangar, the car travelled around 50 metres before crashing into a scooter on which a woman and her daughter were seated. It also hit two other parked scooters, bringing the vehicle to a halt. Gosha suffered severe head injuries and died on the spot.
CCTV footage of the accident has surfaced, showing the car speeding along the road and hitting pedestrians. One of the injured, Ashok Kumar, said the car was moving at a very high speed. “It first hit the vegetable vendor. I was walking when the car struck me too. I lost consciousness. My children later helped me. I suffered injuries to my head, fingers and back,” he said.
Local residents caught hold of the driver and thrashed him, while the other occupant of the car reportedly fled. The police were informed, following which a team from the Division number 3 police station reached the spot and arrested the driver.
Inspector Gurjit Singh, station house officer (SHO) of the Division number 3 police station, said an FIR under Sections 281 (rash driving or riding on a public way), 106 (causing death by negligence) and 125(A) (act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita has been registered against the accused. He said the police are questioning him to establish the circumstances leading to the accident.