Tragic accident: speeding car mows down seven pedestrians, four girls killed; three in critical condition

Raebareli (The Uttam Hindu): A late-night road accident on Sunday on the Ganga Expressway near Sultanpur Janauli claimed the lives of four people, including a teenage girl, after a speeding and out-of-control car hit seven pedestrians from behind. Three others were seriously injured in the incident. Soon after the accident, a large crowd gathered at the spot, and the Additional Superintendent of Police also reached the scene. Heavy congestion led to a traffic jam on the Jagatpur–Dalmau road.

The victims were identified as Riya Patel, Priya Patel, Himanshi, Shalini, Rashmi, Sadhana, and a woman named Asma, residents of Koder village in Jagatpur. They had gone to attend a community feast (bhandara) in Chuli village and were returning on foot when the speeding car struck them on the Ganga Expressway near Sultanpur Janauli. Himanshi and Shalini died on the spot, while the injured were rushed to Jagatpur CHC and the district hospital. During treatment at the district hospital, Asma and Rashmi also succumbed to their injuries. The remaining three victims are currently undergoing treatment.

Local residents alleged that although an ambulance reached the site around half an hour after the incident, its doors remained locked for another 30 minutes, triggering anger among the people present. Police personnel later intervened and managed to calm the crowd. Family members of the injured said the poor condition of an emergency ambulance reflects serious negligence by the authorities.

It was also reported that due to the closure of the Laxmanpur railway crossing, traffic congestion built up on the Jagatpur–Dalmau route, resulting in a two-kilometre-long queue of vehicles. As a result, a second ambulance could not reach the spot, and the injured had to be taken to the district hospital in other vehicles. Police had to make significant efforts to clear the traffic jam. Circle Officer Dalmau Girjashankar Tripathi stated that the injured have been sent for treatment, the car has been seized, and a search is underway for the driver. A case will be registered once a formal complaint is received.