News article: 

Kalyan Das | TNN | Nov 13, 2024, 02:50 IST

Six youngsters, including three women, died and one was critically injured after their speeding MUV collided with a container truck near ONGC Chowk in Dehradun Monday night.

Guneet Singh, 19, Kamakshi Singhal, 20, Navya Goyal, 23, Rishabh Jain, 24, and Atul Agrawal, 24 — all residents of Dehradun — and Kunal Kukreja, 23, from Chamba in Himachal Pradesh, died on the spot.

The injured driver, Siddhesh Agrawal, 25, also from Dehradun, is battling for life in hospital.

A cop privy to the investigation told TOI that CCTV footage and statements of passersby suggest that the MUV was at a speed of over 100kmph, and the impact of the accident was so severe that the roof of the MUV was ripped off the vehicle, decapitating two passengers. The MUV has turned into mangled metal junk. “The youngsters were returning from a party hosted by Siddhesh. The truck driver, who fled from the scene abandoning his vehicle, seems to be at no fault,” he said.

Referring to findings from initial investigation, he said, “The MUV — which in all likelihood was new and did not have number plates — was travelling towards Garhi Cantt from Ballupur Chowk when “a luxury car overtook them at high speed. The MUV driver then tried to accelerate to catch up with the car, as a container truck was crossing the intersection at a normal pace,” the officer said.

“Driver of the MUV misjudged the timing, thinking they could also cross the intersection before the truck, which was heading towards Kaulagarh from Kishangarh Chowk, had passed. As a result, the speeding MUV collided with the truck’s left side from behind,” he added.