Ludhiana: A weekend of road trauma has left families devastated in two separate hit-and-run and speeding incidents, claiming the lives of a 56-year-old grandmother and a young man.The city police have arrested one driver following a high-impact collision on Pakhowal Road, while a manhunt remains underway for a truck driver who fled the scene after crushing a pedestrian in Lalton Kalan.Tragedy on Pakhowal RoadThe first fatality occurred as Nirmala Devi, 56, was attempting to cross the busy Pakhowal Road to board a three-wheeler. Her son, Rahul Kumar, witnessed the tragedy unfold as he was escorting her to visit a relative. “The impact of the collision was so strong that she died at the spot,” Kumar told investigators. Police allege a speeding Maruti Suzuki Swift, driven by Gulzar Singh of Lohara, struck the victim with such force that medical intervention was impossible.Assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Dilbag Singh confirmed that an FIR (first-information report) has been lodged under sections 281 and 106 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The driver was apprehended shortly after the incident.Trucker Sought in Lalton KalanIn a separate incident in Village Lalton Kalan, a man identified as Harjeet Singh was killed while standing outside a local cement store. The victim’s father, Harpal Singh, has reported that a recklessly driven truck mowed down his son before the driver sped away. Although Harjeet Singh was moved to a nearby hospital, he succumbed to his injuries during emergency treatment.Sadar police have identified the driver as Ishwar Singh. “After the accident, the driver managed to escape from the spot,” said head constable Harwinder Singh. Police authorities have registered an FIR under BNS sections 324 (4), 106, and 281, and have launched a coordinated search to track down the fugitive.
