Dehradun accident: 'Please don't drink & drive' urge Indians as victims' last video before fatal crash emerges
By Aishwarya Nair | First Published Nov 15, 2024, 10:13 AM ISTThe video of the tragic accident in Dehradun claimed the lives of six young people on the night of November 11 and 12 and left one critically injured when their speeding car collided with a stationary truck at ONGC Chowk has surfaced on social media. Netizens have urged people not to drink and drive.
A video circulating on social media captures the moments leading up to a tragic accident in Dehradun, which resulted in the deaths of six students and left one critically injured. The clip shows the group of friends enjoying themselves, with some holding drinks and dancing to music, while one girl is seen pouring a drink for another seated on a sofa. The footage is believed to have been taken shortly before the group left in an Innova car, which later met with a fatal crash at ONGC Chowk.
The victims included Guneet Kumari (19), Navya Goyal (23), and Kamakshi (20), all girls from different areas in Dehradun. The boys who lost their lives were Kunal Kukreja (23) from Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, Atul Agarwal (24), and Rishabh Jain (24), both from Dehradun.
What happened on the night of November 11-12?
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A devastating car accident in Dehradun early Tuesday morning claimed six lives and left one person critically injured. The incident occurred around 1:30 am at ONGC Chowk when a speeding Innova rammed into the back of a container truck, reducing the car to a mangled heap, according to police reports.
Circle Officer (City) Neeraj Semwal stated that the six victims—three men and three women, all below the age of 25—died instantly. The sole survivor, 25-year-old Siddhesh Agrawal, is in critical condition and receiving treatment at Synergy Hospital.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the container truck driver was not responsible for the accident. The speeding multi-utility vehicle (MUV) reportedly crashed into the truck's rear left section, an area often considered a blind spot for large vehicles.
Police revealed on Thursday that CCTV footage showed the vehicle maintaining a normal speed while passing through areas such as Rajpur Road, Saharanpur Chowk, Balliwala, and Ballupur. However, the car abruptly accelerated as it neared the ONGC intersection, ultimately resulting in the crash.
A businessman alerted authorities of an out-of-control vehicle
A police officer involved in the investigation revealed to TOI that CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts indicate the MUV was traveling at over 100 kmph at the time of the crash. The impact was so severe that the car's roof was torn off, tragically decapitating two of the occupants on the spot, the officer said.
Meanwhile, a local restaurant owner told TOI that he believes he saw the same speeding MUV driving on the wrong side of Rajpur Road near Pacific Mall around 1 a.m. while returning home from an event with his family. "The car was coming towards us at high speed. I managed to steer away just in time to avoid a head-on collision. Concerned, I approached the police stationed at the barricade near the Mussoorie diversion and urged them to stop the vehicle, but they didn’t act," he recounted.
Fearing for the safety of other road users, he called the police emergency number at 1:34 a.m. to report the incident. Later, at 2:32 a.m., he emailed the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), District Magistrate (DM), home ministry, and CM helpline, highlighting the police's inaction. "When I heard about the accident in the morning, I realized it was the same car that had almost collided with mine," he added.
Police's response and no complaint from families yet
The families of the six students who lost their lives in a road accident in Dehradun have not yet lodged a formal complaint with the police, which could prompt the authorities to initiate action, according to The Times of India. Meanwhile, the police are consulting legal experts on the appropriate steps to take, as preliminary findings indicate that the truck driver was not responsible for the collision.
Inspector KC Bhatt of Cantt police station stated that they are awaiting a formal complaint from the victims' families before proceeding to register a case, according to the report.
Statistics on drunk driving deaths in India
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) reported 461,312 road accidents in India during 2022, with approximately 70% involving individuals aged 18-45. Notably, 10,080 of these accidents were attributed to drunk driving, leading to 4,201 deaths and 8,809 injuries. These figures underscore the critical need for stricter measures to curb this preventable cause of road fatalities.
Video of victims drinking and partying before fatal crash surfaces:
This is Insane, Shocking🥲 in
Dehradun accident happened because of Alcohol.☹
You accept it or not.
We need stricter rules for who can buy alcohol and who can drink alcohol.
We need that culture back when we used to look down upon alcohol 🥵📈 pic.twitter.com/zqWVH4x5UA
Shock and demand for stringent drink and drive laws
The tragic car accident in Dehradun, which claimed the lives of six young individuals, has sparked shock and outrage, reigniting calls for stricter laws against drunk driving. The incident highlights the devastating consequences of impaired driving, as preliminary investigations suggest the vehicle was traveling at excessive speeds before crashing into a stationary truck. The incident has prompted demands from citizens and road safety advocates for more stringent enforcement of existing laws.
Some reactions on social media platform X:
Honest opinion on
Stay away from friends who drink, no matter how close you are, don’t change your values just because they think drinking is cool.
I am pretty sure most of you have come across a situation where you know your friend is drunk and you don’t…
Normalising drinking and driving is the worst thing that happened in the last 10 years.
10 years ago,⁰Drinking was considered as a bad habit.
Now if you're not drinking,⁰You are made to feel like an alien.
You have done some kind of crime by refusing.
Horrible accident in Dehradun. 3 boys 3 girls dead. Young people in their 20s racing in their new Innova at 1:30 am. Hit a trailer. 2 heads decapitated. Mangled bodies. Most likely drunk. (Party videos are out) They were racing a BMW.
This dehaati habit of racing on the road,…
Horrible Dehradun accident
Watching footage is disturbing.
I am always driving below 100 kmph speed even with my new Porsche.
Always remember while driving your family is waiting for you at home.
Alcohol has no space in my life.
People saying sahi Hooa to Dehradun Innova accident video are inhumane
No one deserves this fate even if they lie to their parents , drink alcohol or anything
They were wrong on their part of consuming alcohol and driving but still no one deserves this fate💔
The Dehradun accident pics are blood curdling. Why are boys and girls so young getting so drunk and driving? The poor container driver will now have to spend his time and energy fighting a lethargic justice system in courts without ANY fault of his!
— Shefali Vaidya. 🇮🇳 (@ShefVaidya)Dehradun accident could have been prevented if the Pune’s accident offender was incarcerated and punished.
Indian laws are a joke.
Dehradun accident videos are mind numbing. May God give strength to the families to bear with this loss. These visuals are so haunting. Please don't drink & drive. Please don't ever.
— Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj (@DeepikaBhardwaj)
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