Ahemadabad Police on Thursday arrested car driver Tathya Patel who crushed nine people to death on ISKCON Bridge in the city. His father Prajnesh Patel was also arrested in connection with this incident. After their arrest, the duo was taken to the accident site where Patel'a speeding car rammed into a crowd gathered killing at least nine, and injuring nearly 10 others. The incident took place at around 1 am at ISKCON bridge on the Sarkhej-Gandhinagar highway in a Satellite area of the city.
The crowd had gathered after learning about an accident between a car and a truck. Minutes later, the speeding car came from the Karnavati Club side and ran over the people gathered.
As per news agency PTI's report, the victims landed nearly 25 to 30 feet away. The stretch of the road turned red due to the spilled blood and the impact was such that the front portion of the car as well as its windscreen got completely damaged.
Police said that a constable and a Home Guard jawan who reached the spot after the first accident of a collision involving two vehicles were among those killed in the incident. The car driver, Tathya Patel, was also admitted to a private hospital as he too received injuries, a police official informed.
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"At around 1 am, a Thar (SUV) collided with a truck at ISKCON Bridge on SG Highway. After receiving information about the accident, local traffic police and a Home Guard jawan reached the spot to manage the traffic and handle the situation. Out of curiosity, several bystanders also gathered at the spot to check what had happened," Satellite police station inspector K Y Vyas said, as quoted by PTI.
"When they were on the bridge, a speeding Jaguar car rammed into the crowd, killing five persons on the spot, while four persons died during treatment. The deceased included a constable and a Home Guard jawan. Nearly 10 persons who received injuries were admitted to different hospitals," he informed.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Traffic, Neeta Desai stated that an FIR has been registered in this connection.
"Nine persons were killed and 10 to 11 people were injured in the accident. It does not appear to be a case of drunk driving. But our primary investigation has revealed the speed of the Jaguar car was extremely high. Since (car driver) Tathya Patel is under treatment, we will arrest him once doctors give a go-ahead," Desai said at the Sola Civil Hospital, as per PTI.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel expressed grief over the incident and announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh for the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.