Gujarat: Speeding truck mows down cop at Borsad

VADODARA/ ANAND: A police constable posted with the Borsad town police station in Anand district died on Wednesday after he was mowed down by a speeding truck on the service road from Borsad to Dabhasi adjacent to Vasad-Bagodra highway.
After the accident, the truck driver had fled from the spot but was apprehended in the evening. Anand police officials said the truck driver Gopiram Seduram Meena is a native of Rampur village of Rajasthan's Alwar district.
According to police, the deceased Kiran Raj had tried to stop the truck for checking at around 1.10 am during the wee hours of Wednesday morning. But the driver ran over him. Raj, who was severely injured, passed away at Shree Krishna Hospital in Karamsad at around 10.30 am.
Police sources said that Raj had first tried to stop the trailer truck between Vasad crossroads and Borsad-Anand crossroads but since the vehicle did not stop, the constable along with his colleague drove his private four-wheeler, overtook the trailer and parked it near the service road for checking. Even as the police constable signalled the driver to stop the vehicle for checking, the driver did not stop and mowed him down.
"We have registered an offence of culpable homicide against the truck driver who speeded the vehicle to evade checking," Anand district superintendent of police Ajit Rajian told TOI.
Rajian said that apart from the police constable, a home guard who was also on night duty, received minor injuries as the vehicle hit him as well. Police sources said that the truck which also had Rajasthan passing was loaded with industrial powder.
Although there were speculations that the truck was carrying either sand mined illegally or liquor, police ruled out the theories.
"The truck was an industrial container which was ferrying goods from Bharuch to Haryana. We have also called upon the owner for further probe," said Rajian. "At the same time, we are expediting the process of compensation that the family members will receive as per rules as the deceased was on duty when he died," he said.