NEW DELHI: A 45-year-old auto-rickshaw driver was killed and another man injured after a speeding car rammed into an auto and then a cycle rickshaw in southeast Delhi’s Sukhdev Vihar on Saturday morning, with an eyewitness saying two cars were racing moments before the crash.The occupants of the car fled the spot, leaving the badly damaged vehicle behind.The incident occurred around 7am. The deceased was identified as Md Kalam, a resident of New Friends Colony, whose auto-rickshaw was involved in the crash, police said.The injured man was identified as Md Bablu, a vagabond residing near Sukhdev Vihar Metro station, police said.Jeet, an eyewitness who was on his way to work, told PTI that he had stopped for tea and was leaving at around 7am when he heard a loud noise. “I turned to see that an accident had happened.“Two cars were racing each other and one car rammed into the auto. By that time, the other car fled at a high speed,” he said.The auto-rickshaw driver died on the spot, while the car subsequently hit a cycle rickshaw, causing another man to fall and sustain injuries, he said.“The car was coming from the flyover side and going towards Shaheen Bagh. You can guess the speed by the impact on the auto. There were three to four men in the car. They fled as soon as the incident happened (leaving behind the vehicle),” Jeet said.A tea seller at the spot said he reached the area around 8-9am, after the accident had already taken place. “Someone was saying that the car had rammed into the auto,” he said.A video recorded by a passerby showed the extent of the damage caused in the crash. The car was extensively damaged, with its airbag deployed and its glass and bonnet broken. Items inside the vehicle were also seen damaged, while the occupants had apparently abandoned it and fled.The auto-rickshaw was severely crushed, and Kalam, bleeding and unconscious, could be seen lying on the road in the video.According to preliminary information, the car first rammed into the auto-rickshaw before hitting a cycle rickshaw, police said.Kalam was taken to Escorts Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. His body is being shifted to AIIMS for postmortem examination, police said.Police are examining CCTV footage and other evidence to ascertain the sequence of events and identify the owner and occupants of the car.(With PTI inputs)
