Saharanpur: A family pilgrimage to Haridwar ended in tragedy after four members of a family were killed in a horrific road accident on the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway in Uttar Pradesh‘s Saharanpur district. The accident occurred when the driver of their car allegedly reversed on the highway after missing an exit and was hit from behind by a speeding SUV.
The deceased have been identified as Praveen (40), his wife Preeti (37), his mother Sudesh and nine-year-old Shivansh. Three other family members sustained serious injuries and are undergoing treatment at the district hospital’s Trauma Centre.
Fatal attempt to return to missed exit
According to police, the family was travelling from Bahadurgarh in Haryana to Haridwar to take a holy dip in the Ganga and visit temples. While passing through the Halgoya Cut area on the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway, the driver reportedly missed the designated exit.
CCTV footage of the incident, which has since gone viral on social media, shows the car moving ahead of the exit before reversing on the expressway in an apparent attempt to return to the missed cut. The vehicle was reportedly reversing from an under-construction stretch of the highway when a speeding Scorpio SUV rammed into it from behind.
The collision was so severe that the car was dragged several metres and crushed beyond recognition. The Scorpio SUV also lost control and overturned following the impact.
Four die on the spot
The impact of the crash claimed the lives of four members of the family instantly. Passers-by and motorists rushed to the scene to rescue the occupants trapped inside the mangled vehicles and alerted the police.
Emergency teams and local authorities arrived shortly afterwards and shifted the injured to the district hospital. The condition of the injured family members is reported to be serious.
The accident caused panic in the area and temporarily disrupted traffic on the expressway as rescue operations were carried out.
Police launch investigation
District Magistrate Arvind Kumar Chauhan and Senior Superintendent of Police Abhinandan visited the district hospital and met the injured persons. They directed officials to ensure proper medical treatment and support for the victims’ family.
Police have sent the bodies for post-mortem examination and registered a case to investigate the circumstances leading to the accident.
Officials said the CCTV footage has become a crucial piece of evidence in the investigation. Authorities are analysing the video and examining all aspects of the crash to determine the exact sequence of events and establish responsibility.
Concerns over highway safety
The tragic accident has once again highlighted the dangers of reversing or making sudden manoeuvres on high-speed expressways. Road safety experts have repeatedly warned motorists against attempting to return to missed exits by reversing or driving against traffic, as such actions significantly increase the risk of fatal collisions.
Authorities have urged drivers to continue to the next exit and return safely instead of taking dangerous decisions on highways.
The incident serves as a grim reminder of the importance of following traffic rules and exercising caution on high-speed corridors, where even a momentary error can have devastating consequences.