SURAT: A 27-year-old speed demon racing on the wrong side of the road crashed his
SUV into three motorcycles, killing three members of one family at the spot, on the Navagam flyover in Dindoli on Sunday night.
Divyesh Agarwal, a resident of Godadara, was heavily drunk and was arrested on Monday. He was booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Agrawal, who is in the property business, has a penchant for breaking the law, police said.
TimesView
The gruesome accident that snuffed out three lives has again exposed the lawlessness on Surat roads. The inability to rein in such reckless drivers, many of whom flaunt their links with cops, is a blot on the face of the police department. Police have recently started taking action against, after finding that most fatalities are caused by speed demons. These actions could still take long to yield results, without strict enforcement. Such actions need to be a regular affair to punish rash drivers. On holidays, many roads turn into race tracks for bikers and car drivers. Police have failed to take action even at perpetual trouble spots.
While Savarmal Sharma , 41, his wife Bhavri, 35, and their 11-year-old daughter died, the couple's eight-month-old son Punit miraculously survived the crash. The impact of the collision was such that Bhavri was flung off the bridge and fell to the road 50 feet below. The flyover has no divider.
Police said Agarwal was arrested at the spot. Sources said that the speed of the SUV could be gauged from the massive damage to its front. It is registered in name of Agarwal's father, Om Prakash.
The infant Punit, who was in Bhavri's hands was also flung in the air but was miraculously caught by a passerby, identified as Lakshmi Patil.
Savarmal was employed in a plywood store. A larger number of community members of deceased gathered at Surat Municipal Institute of Medical Education and Research (SMIMER) on Monday morning and refused to accept the bodies until strict action was taken against Agarwal. Only after police gave them an assurance did they accept the bodies for cremation.
Police commissioner Satish Sharma said that Agarwal was drunk while driving his Pajero (GJ-05-JN-6285) and hit three motorcycles. Two other persons, Rajesh Rawat and Gyaneshwar Patil, who were on motorcycles, were also injured in the
accident.
Police are investigating where Divyesh had come from drunk. Sources in the police said there were people in the SUV at time of accident and they were also drunk. However, their identities have not yet been established.
The accused in police custody(inset) ; the accident spot on Navagam flyover in Dindoli.