Car runs over policemen removing crashed dumper on Noida expressway, three persons dead

The dead have been identified as Yash Agarwal (23), a passenger in the Swift; Balraj Singh, a traffic police officer; and Mohan Panwar, the gunner to deputy superintendent of police Harender Singh. DSP Singh is in a coma and is battling for life at Jaypee Hospital, police said.

HOW IT HAPPENED: 1. Around 10.30 pm on Wednesday, a Maruti Swift is speeding towards Delhi 2. It first runs over DSP Harender Singh and his gunner Mohan Panwar 3. It then crashes into the overturned truck, which is being lifted by a crane 4. The speeding Swift travels another 50 metres before coming to a halt on the side of the road

According to police, around 10.30 pm, a police team was on the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway to tow away a dumper that had toppled and was blocking traffic.

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The dumper carrying sand was headed for Noida. It turned turtle after its axle broke near the FNG corridor on the expressway, police said.

“The sand spilled on the road and this slowed down traffic. After the police team reached, Singh arrived with his driver, gunner and another officer in a Bolero to assist the traffic police,” Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Rajkumar Mishra said.

“Even as the team was removing the dumper, a speeding Maruti Swift overtook several cars and ran over the police personnel,” the officer said.
Noida SSP Preetinder Singh said the Swift first rammed the crane, then ran over the members of the team and finally crashed into the dumper.

“The dumper had overturned close to the central verge on the expressway. The team was towing away the dumper and also managing the traffic. The Swift was speeding. It overtook several cars before running over the police team,” he said.

Senior police officers said the Swift had five passengers, all traders from Aligarh in their early 20s. They were on their way to Delhi to watch the IPL match at Ferozshah Kotla stadium on Thursday. The injured in the car have been identified as Yash Varshney, Govind Varma, Pramod Varma and Shubham Rathi.

“They were drinking and driving. Police have recovered beer cans from the vehicle,” SP (Rural) Brijesh Singh said. He said a case has been registered under the relevant sections at Surajpur police station in Greater Noida.

After the accident, Singh’s driver and bodyguard rushed the injured to hospital. While two police officers died on impact, Agarwal, who was in the passenger seat of the Swift, succumbed to injuries on the way.

Shubhangi Misra is an intern with The Indian Express.

DSP in coma, but doctors hopeful

Deputy Superintendent of Police Harender Singh (37) is battling for life at Jaypee Hospital in Noida after being run over by a speeding Maruti Swift on Wednesday night.

A Jaypee Hospital official said Singh has been admitted to the ICU and is on ventilator support. Police said Singh suffered severe head injuries and fractured several ribs, which were causing complications.

Doctors said the fact that no time was lost in getting Singh to the hospital could probably be the difference between life and death. “Had there been any delay in bringing him here, he might not have survived. He is still critical but we are hopeful,” a doctor said.

Singh’s driver Sanjay and officer Ronit Kumar had rescued the DSP and rushed him to the hospital, police said.

Noida SSP Preetinder Singh said Singh had recently been transferred to the Gautam Budh Nagar. “He had joined us a few months ago. He was previously a part of the chief minister’s security in Lucknow and this is Singh’s second posting,” he said.

A resident of Azamgarh in UP, Singh lives with his wife — a doctor — in Noida, police said. Sources said UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had called Preetinder Singh thrice since Wednesday night to enquire about Harender Singh. ENS