New Delhi: A tragic accident involving an out-of-control Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus occurred late Monday night near the Monastery Market on Ring Road, resulting in the deaths of a police constable and a civilian. The victims have been identified as Police Constable Victor (27) from Nagaland, who was stationed at the Civil Lines Police Station, and Satyapriya (23), a B.Tech student from Kanpur.
The incident was reported to the police via a PCR call to the Civil Lines Police Station. At approximately 10:30 p.m., the driverless DTC bus on Route 261, which was in a breakdown state and carried only one DTC official, veered off course, mounted the pavement, and struck a billboard pole, causing it to collapse. The bus then collided with Constable Victor, who was on patrol, and Satyapriya, who was visiting the area for shopping. After hitting the victims, the bus crossed to the opposite side of the road and collided with a divider. Both individuals were pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. Constable Victor sustained severe head, neck, and facial injuries and was rushed to Parmanand Hospital but could not be saved. Satyapriya, a resident of Rajeev Nagar in Gurugram, had been shopping when the accident occurred.
The DTC bus driver, Vinod Kumar (57), who has been with the corporation since 2010, was taken into custody following the incident; he reportedly escaped injury. Authorities have since initiated legal proceedings and are conducting a detailed investigation.
Eyewitness Sunil Kumar was sipping tea near the Monastery Market when he saw the bus hurtling towards him at high speed. He dropped his cup and ran towards the market as the bus sped past, narrowly escaping disaster. Kumar expressed his trauma, stating, “The scene kept replaying in my mind. If I hadn’t run, I might have been killed like others.” Another survivor, Binod Singh, described his heart racing as he too managed to flee just in time. Shopkeepers in the area reported hearing a loud noise and skidding tyres, only to discover the horrific aftermath. Dargil, the president of the Monastery Market, highlighted the ongoing issue of reckless driving in the area, calling for improved safety measures, including a flyover to alleviate traffic hazards.