‘Car’s parking lights were on… still the truck driver’: Ex-Armyman killed while fixing tyre on Delhi flyover

According to the FIR, Pal’s son, Harkesh Kumar, 20, told the police that the family was in Chandigarh for a function. Kumar, a BTech student at Chandigarh University, had taken leave from the university to return to Palwal with his family.

“All the parking lights of the car were on. Still the truck driver…,” said an inconsolable Kumar, who was taking out the stepney when tragedy struck.

Nidhin Valsan, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central), said, “The son’s statement was recorded, in which he stated that he, along with his father and his family members, was en route to Palwal, Haryana. At 2 am, their car tyre got punctured. His father stepped out of the vehicle to check and was hit by a speeding truck from behind.”

Pal was a Group D employee in the Haryana government.

His brother-in-law, Ashok Sharma, said they will visit the IP Estate police station on Thursday to identify the truck from the CCTV footage.

“I found out about the incident on Tuesday morning. There were four people in the car. Mahender, his son Harkesh, brother Sandeep, and another boy named Jitender. The tyre got punctured,” said Sharma.

“He (Pal) has two children. Both are students. Koi aage peeche kamane wala nahi hai (He was the sole bread earner of his family),” added Sharma.

Police have registered the FIR under sections 281 (rash driving endangering human life) and 106 (death due to negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at the IP Estate police station on Tuesday.

Police said the accused driver is on the run, and they are trying to trace the offending vehicle. CCTV cameras in the vicinity of the flyover are being analysed for clues.