Kanpur: A 55-year-old chartered accountant was killed after his car caught fire following a collision with a stationary truck on National Highway-27 in Jalaun in wee hours on Saturday.The deceased was identified as Rajesh Kushwaha, a resident of Orai. He was travelling alone in his SUV, when the accident occurred around 3am on Saturday, about two kilometres from the district headquarters.According to police, Kushwaha had left home late Friday night for work and was returning, when his speeding car rammed into the rear of a truck parked on the side of the highway. The impact caused sparks, which led to a fire that quickly engulfed the vehicle.Officer-in-charge of Orai police station Harishankar said the flames spread rapidly, leaving the driver trapped inside the car. Local residents, who noticed smoke rising from the highway, rushed to the spot and alerted police and the fire brigade. However, by the time the fire was extinguished, Kushwaha had succumbed to severe burn injuries. Eyewitnesses said the collision was so intense that even the truck’s tyres burst. The car was completely gutted, and cutters were used to retrieve the body remains. Identification was later confirmed through the vehicle’s registration details.Kushwaha’s brother Sanjay Singh said the deceased ran a coal company and frequently travelled late at night between Orai and Jhansi. His wife Swati Singh, is a professor.
