A devastating road accident in Lucknow’s Cantonment area late Friday has left two young men, Mohit (23) and Umesh Sahu (26), dead and six others hospitalised with serious injuries. The tragedy unfolded when a speeding Thar SUV, piloted by Akshay Pratap Singh, collided head-on with an e-rickshaw near Baniya Bazar, throwing its passengers onto the road and causing immediate chaos.
Officers confirmed that Mohit and Umesh, who had recently married and were anticipating new additions to their families, lost their lives on impact. The e-rickshaw was carrying eight religious devotees en route to the Khatu Shyam Temple, revealing the heart-wrenching consequences for the victims’ families and the community.
Scene of Horror: Community and Police Respond
Eyewitnesses described the scene as nightmarish: the collision flung several passengers from the e-rickshaw several feet, leaving them writhing in pain and confusion on the asphalt. Local residents sprang into action, calling emergency responders and assisting the injured until ambulances arrived.
All injured victims-Bhupendra, Ansh, Pramod, Anuj and Sumit Yadav among them-were rushed, first to Command Hospital and then to Lucknow’s KGMU Trauma Center. The Thar’s driver, Singh, abandoned his vehicle and fled the scene, but police traced and arrested him the next day at his flat in Sushant Golf City; his SUV was promptly seized as evidence.
DCP Central Zone Ashish Srivastava assured the public: “Efforts are being made to identify and apprehend the accused; forensic teams have examined the seized vehicle and a thorough investigation is underway.” Police invoked charges including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, registering the case under the new sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
As medical personnel battle to save lives, investigators comb through local CCTV footage to reconstruct the events preceding the impact.
Rash Driving Epidemic: Local Anger and Past Patterns
This incident is the latest in a distressing trend involving SUVs, especially the Thar brand, which has repeatedly figured in high-profile, reckless driving cases nationwide. CCTV visuals from Lucknow show the Thar approaching the e-rickshaw at alarming speed, with witnesses reporting the driver seemed intoxicated and completely lost control before crashing.
The crash’s force and suddenness underline the vulnerability of e-rickshaw riders and pedestrians alike. Recent weeks have seen similar accidents-a Thar killed a pedestrian in Delhi’s diplomatic enclave last month and another injured a woman in Ghaziabad.
Community protests are not only calling for stricter traffic enforcement but are urging a cultural shift toward responsible, empathetic driving.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Tragedies like this shatter lives and reveal the desperate need for road safety reform and a deeper culture of empathy in Indian cities. The arrest of the accused driver is merely one step; lasting change requires robust enforcement of traffic norms, widespread public education, and a collective commitment to kindness on the road.
Only when communities, officials, and vehicle owners unite for safer shared spaces can the roads become less hazardous for everyone.
