Dehradun accident: Revisiting last hours of 6 friends before horrific crash

By Vinaykumar Patil | First Published Nov 16, 2024, 11:27 AM IST

Six young lives were lost in a high-speed crash at ONGC Chowk, Dehradun when their MUV collided with a container truck. The sole survivor, Siddhesh Agrawal, remains critically injured. Authorities are investigating the cause, with speed and potential alcohol consumption as key factors.

Six young lives were tragically lost in a high-speed crash at ONGC Chowk in Dehradun early Tuesday. The victims, aged between 19 and 24, were returning from a party when the multi-utility vehicle (MUV) they were travelling in collided with a container truck, leaving the vehicle mangled and killing all but one of the occupants.

The sole survivor, 25-year-old Siddhesh Agrawal, who was driving, remains in critical condition in the hospital with a severe head injury. He is currently unable to speak due to the severity of his injuries.

Dehradun accident: Who were the 6 victims of spine-chilling crash that shocked the nation?

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The victims, including Guneet Singh, Kamakshi Singhal, Navya Goyal, Rishabh Jain, Atul Agrawal, and Kunal Kukreja, were friends from Delhi and Himachal Pradesh. They had been at a party hosted by Siddhesh at his residence before deciding to go for a late-night drive. The crash occurred around 1:30 am when the MUV, reportedly speeding at over 100 km/h, approached the busy ONGC Chowk. CCTV footage shows the MUV trying to overtake a luxury car before misjudging the distance and crashing into the container truck. The impact was so severe that the roof of the MUV was torn off, killing six of the friends instantly.

Non-functional CCTV

While the precise cause of the crash remains unclear, local authorities and police have pointed to the high speed of the vehicle as the primary factor. The container truck driver fled the scene, though police have suggested that he was not at fault. The crucial CCTV camera at the intersection was not functioning, as it had been offline due to a ransomware attack. This has complicated the investigation into the accident.

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Authorities have confirmed that three of the deceased were students at a private university, while one had graduated in engineering. In addition, a video circulating on social media shows the group partying and allegedly consuming alcohol before the crash.

Siddhesh Agrawal, the driver, was the only one to survive the crash, thanks to his iPhone's emergency SOS feature, which alerted the police control room and likely saved his life. His father, Vipin Agrawal, has appealed to the public to refrain from spreading rumours and speculations regarding the events leading up to the accident. "Please have some empathy. Six families have lost their children. My son is in the ICU," he urged.

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