Lucknow: Police investigations revealed that an insurance company surveyor was driving at a speed of nearly 140kmph when his car mowed down three girls and a woman on the under-construction Ganga expressway in Raebareli’s Jagatpur area.The accused, Vikas Mishra, was arrested hours after the crash on Sunday, turning a village celebration into a scene of horror and mourning. The accident took place around 1pm near Chuli village. Nine teenage girls and young women were returning home via the under-construction expressway. At the same time, the accused was driving his car from Prayagraj towards Raebareli at a high speed. Eyewitnesses said the car appeared unstable moments before the crash. Shubham, a resident of Bargadaha village who was present nearby, said the vehicle was swerving dangerously. “It seemed like the front tyre punctured. The driver was struggling to control the car and appeared intoxicated,” he said. The car ploughed into the girls and then rammed into the divider, smashing its front portion. Locals alleged serious delays in emergency response. The ambulance reportedly arrived around 40 minutes later, and its door failed to open for another 20-25 minutes. By the time they reached Jagatpur community health centre, two of the victims had already died, while the other two succumbed later. Farmer Ramesh Kumar said timely medical aid could have saved lives.Circle officer of Dalmau, Girja Shankar Tripathi said preliminary findings pointed to speeding and negligence. “The exact speed, intoxication angle and other technical aspects are being thoroughly examined,” he said.
