New Delhi, Jul 24 (PTI) An eyewitness to the fatal road accident in southwest Delhi’s Vasant Kunj has alleged that the absence of a protective safety wall at the accident spot makes the stretch hazardous, urging the authorities to take corrective measures before the onset of winter when dense fog reduces visibility.
The allegation comes a day after 20-year-old Yashvendra, a student pursuing higher education in the US and son of an Indian Army officer, died after the car he was driving plunged into a water-filled drain near a traffic signal in Nangal Dewat area.
Eyewitness Pradeep Sehrawat, who reached the spot shortly after the accident, said he saw the woman passenger desperately seeking help while the driver remained trapped inside the overturned vehicle.
“I was passing from there when I saw a girl trying to stop people for help. Police personnel were also there. I immediately asked the police personnel to call the fire department for the rescue work,” Sehrawat told media persons.
He said one of the occupants was trapped in the driver’s seat and rescuers initially struggled to reach him because of the depth of the water-filled drain.
“One person was trapped inside the car on the driver’s seat and was not able to move. Along with the police personnel, we even tried to reach him, but due to the depth of the water-filled area, we were unable to reach him,” he said.
Sehrawat said Delhi Fire Services personnel and other rescue agencies soon reached the spot and launched a rescue operation.
“Many rescue agencies reached the spot and launched a rescue operation. The student was brought out of the car and rushed to a nearby hospital,” he said.
Expressing concern over safety at the site, Sehrawat alleged that there was no protective wall or barrier to prevent vehicles from falling into the drain.
“Winter season will soon come, and the place will be covered in fog. More such incidents can happen at any time. The government should cover the area or build safety walls so that such accidents can be avoided,” he said.
“The child who died was the son of an Army officer. It is heartbreaking. Such incidents should not happen again,” he added.
Police did not comment on the eyewitness allegation regarding the absence of a safety wall. According to police, the accident occurred on Friday morning when Yashvendra and his friend, a resident of Vasant Kunj, were travelling towards her residence.
A team from Vasant Kunj South Police Station reached the spot after receiving a PCR call and found the car overturned inside a drain.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that Yashvendra and his friend were headed towards her residence when the accident took place,” a police officer said.
Police suspect the student lost control of the vehicle at a sharp turn near the Nangal Dewat traffic signal, where the road was slippery, causing the car to skid off the road and plunge into the drain.
The DDA, meanwhile, said that its investigation has found that the car was speeding, which caused the vehicle to skid and overturn into the open drain.
They also said that an earlier request to install speed breakers at Nangal Dewat Road was not found feasible by the traffic police.
Yashvendra had sustained critical injuries and succumbed during treatment at a nearby hospital.
Police said that Yashvendra and the woman passenger were students at the same educational institution in the US and had become friends while studying there.
Further investigation into the accident was underway. PTI BM BM AMJ AMJ
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