Six people lost their lives, and one remains critically injured, after a Toyota Innova car collided with a stationary truck at ONGC Chowk in Dehradun in the early hours of Tuesday. The accident is said to be a result of reckless driving, as preliminary investigations suggest the car was racing another vehicle before the fatal crash.
According to senior police officials, CCTV footage revealed the Innova was traveling at an alarming speed exceeding 120 km/h moments before the collision. The footage suggests the car’s occupants were engaged in a high-speed race with a BMW car, which reportedly resulted in the horrific accident.
RECONSTRUCTING THE CRASH: TIMELINE OF EVENTS
- 1.08.08 am: The Innova departed from the Wadia Institute after a small party
- 1.08.57 am: The car was seen at Balliwala, maintaining a moderate speed
- 1.09 am: It reached Govindgarh and continued toward Kanwali Road
- 1:10 am: At Kanwali Road police outpost, the vehicle made a U-turn, starting a loop that eventually led back to ONGC Chowk
- 1.16 am: It passed the same outpost, heading toward Balliwala
- 1:17 am: The Innova crossed Balliwala again, and CCTV footage captured a BMW entering the scene, trailing behind the Innova
- 1:19 am: Near the Synergy bus stop, the Innova and the BMW were captured traveling at dangerously high speeds. The BMW overtook the Innova, seemingly provoking the latter to accelerate
- 1.19.38 am: The Innova lost control just 600 meters from the Synergy bus stop and crashed into a stationary truck, leading to the deadly crash
The BMW car overtaking the Innova seems to have provoked its occupants into speeding up, which might have led to a road race. CCTV footage captured both vehicles travelling at high speeds near Synergy Hospital at 1.19 am.
Police said that the Innova covered the 600-meter distance from the bus stop to the accident site in just 13 seconds, a speed exceeding 120 km/h.
“From the footage, we can see the Innova maintaining a steady speed for most of its route. However, the sudden acceleration occurred just 600 meters before the accident site. It is likely that the driver lost control as the car attempted to match the speed of the BMW,” said Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Singh.
The occupants of the BMW were questioned by police and claimed they were heading to Max Hospital to meet a relative. CCTV footage confirmed that the BMW stopped after the accident and remained at the scene for 25 minutes to assist.
The sole survivor, Siddhesh, was rushed to the hospital and is currently in critical condition in the ICU. His account is expected to provide further details once he regains consciousness.