A 17-year-old student died in a road accident during a motorcycle race involving three minors in Lucknow’s Gomti Nagar Extension area on Sunday morning.
The victim, Naetik Kumar, a Class 12 student, suffered fatal injuries after his motorcycle collided with a scooter and crashed into a road divider near Janeshwar Mishra Park.
Racing between three minors
According to police, the accident occurred around 7:30 am near Gate No. 5 of the park.
Naetik had left his home in Vishesh Khand earlier in the morning to go on a ride with two friends, Aditya Srivastava and Krishna Singh. The teenagers were riding separate motorcycles and were reportedly racing each other along the stretch of road.
During the race, Naetik, who was riding a Royal Enfield Bullet, suddenly encountered a scooter ahead of him.
Before he could slow down or avoid the vehicle, his motorcycle rammed into the scooter, causing him to lose control and crash into the road divider.
Severe head injuries prove fatal
The impact threw Naetik off the motorcycle, and he struck the divider head-first, sustaining severe head injuries.
Aditya, who was riding a Kawasaki motorcycle behind him, also lost control and fell on the road, while Krishna Singh crashed shortly afterward.
Passers-by and local residents rushed to the spot after hearing the crash and helped the injured teenagers.
Naetik was taken to a nearby hospital by his friend with the help of bystanders, but doctors declared him dead during treatment.
The other two teenagers suffered minor injuries and were discharged after receiving first aid.
Police examining CCTV footage
Naetik was the son of Ram Iqbal, an engineer in the electricity department. His family lives in Vishesh Khand, Gomti Nagar Extension.
Police said they informed the family soon after the accident. The grieving family later took the body to their ancestral village in Barabanki for the last rites and declined a post-mortem examination.
Station House Officer Sudhir Awasthi said that CCTV footage from nearby cameras is being reviewed to determine the exact sequence of events.
The incident has once again raised concerns about reckless bike racing and stunt riding by youngsters, which residents say frequently occurs on the wide roads around Janeshwar Mishra Park, especially during early morning hours.