A 23-year-old woman constable lost her life in a heroic but tragic attempt to save her two-year-old son after their car caught fire following a collision with a dumper, late on Wednesday night, police said.
The deceased, Lata Singh, who was posted in Kaushambi district, was returning from a family trip to Nainital with her husband Dan Singh, their toddler son Laddu, and a relative when the accident occurred near Kashipur.
Police said the dumper struck the family’s car from the side with tremendous force, rupturing the petrol tank and causing the vehicle to burst into flames within seconds. While Dan Singh and another passenger managed to escape with burn injuries, the child became trapped inside the blazing car.
Witnesses said Lata rushed back into the flames in a desperate effort to rescue her son but was engulfed by the fire. The toddler died at the scene, and Lata succumbed to severe burn injuries while being taken to Bareilly for advanced treatment.
Locals and nearby petrol pump staff attempted to extinguish the blaze using fire extinguishers before emergency teams arrived. It took around 10–15 minutes to bring the fire under control.
The dumper driver fled the spot after the crash. Additional superintendent of police Anurag Singh visited the scene, and traffic was briefly disrupted until the damaged vehicle was cleared.
Police have launched a search operation to trace the absconding driver and are investigating the circumstances that led to the fatal collision.
