Ten killed in Surat as car jumps road divider, crashes into truck

SURAT: Ten people were killed, six on the spot, in a collision between a car and a truck near Palsana at Baleswar Patiya, some 20km from Surat city on Sunday.

The victims were travelling in an Innova car towards Saputara when their vehicle jumped the divider and rammed into a vegetable-laden truck on way to Modasa from Hyderabad at Palsana at around 4pm. The impact of the collision was so massive that six of the 10 people in Innova car died on the spot. Four injured, who were admitted to SMIMER, died during treatment.

Seven of the deceased have been identified by police so far. The victims belonged to Palsana. Those identified were Chirag Patel, 22; Shami Satish Rajput, 20; Tarasinh S Chauhan, 26; Sumit G Shah, 17; Manish Sen, 22; Subodh S Chaudhary, 33; and Bittu S Rajput.

AM Kamaliya, police sub-inspector, told TOI, “We have not been able to identify three bodies so far. But we would to do it soon.”

Hetal Patel, in-charge deputy superintendent of police, Surat rural, told TOI, “ The Innova car has Vadodara’s registration number. However, it was given for sale to a dealer in Kadodara. The travellers had evinced interest in the vehicle and taken it from the dealer for a long ride. It seems they were on their way to Saputara.”

She said the driver of Innova car was driving recklessly and hence the vehicle jumped the divider and crashed into the truck which was going on its lane on the other side of the road.

“We are trying to identify all the deceased. We have been able to contact the relatives of some of the victims. There is a strong possibility that all of them belonged to Priyankanagar and nearby areas of Kadodara in Surat,” Hetal added.

Police said they have been able to contact the dealer of Innova car and also the owner of the truck.