New Delhi: India Gate outing turns tragic for man and his 8-year-old daughter as dumper truck rams into pedestrians at India gate on Monday night.
The man and his daughter had been eating ice cream on their scooty when they were hit by the driver of the dumper truck that lost control, hit a divider and then rammed into the autos and pedestrians.
The deceased have been identified as 42-year-old Kewal Diwan and his eight-year-old daughter Manya.
The autos were seen mangled beyond recognition by the fatal impact. It is said that around midnight the truck driver lost control of his vehicle and ran over other vehicles and pedestrians before crossing the divider and landing in the lawns of India gate at Man Singh Road.
The deceased Kewal Diwan, 42, and his daughter Manya, 8, were residents of Geeta Colony. Sources say that the family arrived at India gate after Manya completed her exams. Kewal's wife was also present but miraculously survived the accident.
The driver, identified as Raman, 24, a resident of Badarpur, was arrested on the spot and the vehicle was seized, police said. The cops are awaiting a medical report to ascertain if he was under the influence of alcohol.
"We received information around 12.20 am regarding the accident near India Gate on Man Singh Road. A team rushed to the spot and found that one dumper had entered Rajpath lawns after hitting several vehicles and crossing over the footpath," said a senior police officer.
Eyewitnesses told police the truck first hit the divider after which it hit the autos and pedestrians standing near the footpath. Diwan was found lying near the truck. He was immediately shifted to hospital where he was declared brought dead along with his daughter Manya.
Police said that the driver, Raman, received a fracture on his right hand.
"He has been sent to the LNJP hospital, where he is undergoing treatment and will be tested for alcohol.
A case under relevant sections of the law has been registered in the case," the official said.
Those injured have been identified as Deepak Kumar, 27, an auto-rickshaw driver and a resident of Mata Sundari Road, and Ram Singh, 24, a labourer who was on the footpath and is a resident of Unnao in Uttar Pradesh.