A rented Thar SUV hit an i20 in North Goa, killing a resident of Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh and injuring a woman who was traveling with him. The Thar car involved in the accident was reportedly occupied by some young tourists, who were seen terrified in the photos that emerged after the accident.
“Baba churraha tha, main side ek se aa raha tha…and we just crashed“, a young tourist was heard saying in what appeared to be a phone call to his father. The video also showed him getting into the driving seat of the car to move it, but a passerby prevented him from doing so.
A white i20 hatchback was seen in a crushed condition, with the front of the Thar SUV heading towards it. Some young tourists were seen sitting at the back of the Thar River talking to each other.
Thar speeding i20 crashes, man dies
The accident victim has been identified as Bhagat Sharma, 65, who was a resident of Bhopal and was vacationing in Goa.
The Thar SUV was allegedly speeding when it collided with Sharma’s i20, which also had another woman and a five-year-old child inside, both of whom survived the accident.
The emergency ambulance service allegedly took more than an hour to arrive, and according to witnesses, Sharma was initially conscious after the incident, despite serious injuries.
Who was leading the revolt?
While there is no official confirmation of who was driving the Thar before the accident, an eyewitness said that a woman was driving it and the car was speeding.
However, immediately after the incident, the woman moved and sat in the passenger seat, in an alleged attempt to escape accountability, said Myron Fernandez, a local resident. “The male member of the group went and sat in the driver’s seat after the accident,” he said.
“The police have registered a case of rash and negligent driving against the driver of the hired jeep. The vehicle has been seized and further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact sequence of events that led to the collision,” said a police officer, who declined to be identified, as reported earlier by HT.
Meanwhile, according to a local resident, Sharma suffered head and skull injuries after the accident and was taken to hospital in a private ambulance about an hour after the accident.
The resident added that fifteen minutes later the government ambulance arrived.
(With inputs from Gerard de Souza)
