‘Not even a miracle could have saved him’: Traffic constable hit on duty by car speeding at 120 kmph, dies

Within seconds, a white Ertiga speeds towards him at what investigators later said was 120 kmph. He spots the speeding car from a distance and tries to step aside, but the car rams into him. After being hit by the vehicle, the traffic constable is dragged nearly 40 metres by the car that does not stop. The impact flings him into the air before he falls on the road.

Rushed to Manipal Hospital by colleagues, Singh was placed on life support. Pictures from the hospital show him bandaged, his face swollen, tubes attached to his nose, chest and tongue, his body bruised all over. Through the night, doctors struggled to save him. By late Saturday, he had succumbed to his injuries.

Back in Khurja in Uttar Pradesh, Singh’s hometown, his family is inconsolable. His father broke down while talking to reporters on Sunday. Recalling seeing the CCTV footage, he said, “That car was speeding at 120 km per house, and they hit my son… his bones were completely broken. I have two small granddaughters and a grandson… how will I take care of them?”

When asked what punishment the accused should face, he said, “They killed my 35-year-old son… so the accused should also be hanged.”

Singh’s elder brother, Akshay, said, “He was on duty… the car was speeding at 120 km per hour. They have hit him in such a way that looks like my brother was deliberately murdered. All his bones were broken. He had been fighting for life since yesterday but not even a miracle could have saved him after that brutal hit. Today, I have lost my brother. Such people should be punished, so that others don’t have to lose their brothers.”

By Saturday evening, three persons were arrested in the case. Police identified the driver as Vineet. His brother Sumit and another man accompanying them have also been arrested. They were travelling from Haryana to Ghaziabad when the incident happened.

Vineet is a history-sheeter, police said. A case of rash driving, attempt to murder and other charges has been registered in the matter.

In videos of his questioning, Vineet can be seen speaking with little remorse, said officers. Asked how the accident took place, he shrugs: “Gaadi overspeed mai thi, achanak se dekha nahi toh ek janaab ko lag gayi. (The car was speeding… We did not see and it hit him). When pressed on why he was overspeeding, he added, “Bus galti ho gayi sahab (I made a mistake, sir).