GHAZIABAD, India – A tragic incident took place on National Highway 9 (NH-9) near Dasna in Ghaziabad, where an unidentified person was hit by a speeding vehicle early Monday morning. Subsequently, the individual was then run over by multiple vehicles due to dense fog and low visibility conditions, according to police officers on Tuesday. By the time authorities arrived at the scene near Sadbhawna crossing, the body was mutilated beyond recognition, with parts scattered across the carriageway.
“We reached the spot around 10.30am on Monday after being alerted by the highway patrol of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). We could spot only the mutilated remains on the road and we first suspected it to be an animal. Then we spotted mutilated fingers and realised it was a human body. We believe an unidentified vehicle ran the person over, and several others coming behind it failed to spot the fallen person in the dense fog and went over it,” said sub-inspector Bhanu Pratap Singh, incharge of Dasna police post.
The victim is yet to be identified, and police have recovered the mutilated remains along with pieces of fabric, jeans, and earthen-colored cloth, presumably from the clothes the person was wearing at the time of the accident. Authorities believe the deceased could be a man based on these items.
The dense fog also hindered the investigation, as CCTV footage from highway cameras was of little help in identifying the suspect vehicle. According to estimates of NHAI, the NH-9 and the Delhi-Meerut Expressway see about 200,000 daily passengers car units in Ghaziabad.
In an effort to prevent similar tragedies, Virendra Kumar, additional deputy commissioner of police (traffic), urged commuters to drive cautiously during dense fog on highways, turn on their headlights and fog lights, and drive in their lanes. Reflective tapes are being installed on commercial vehicles on the highways to enhance visibility.
Following a complaint from the NHAI highway patrol, the police registered an FIR under Indian Penal Code sections 304a (causing death by negligence) and 279 (rash or negligent driving endangering human life) at Wave City police station. However, despite their efforts, authorities remain clueless about the errant vehicle and the identity of the deceased.
“For now, we are banking on the possibility that some family may come forward with a missing person complaint and we can proceed further with the help of DNA matching. The CCTV cameras have not been helpful so far but we are scanning the feeds from more cameras. An FIR has also been registered against the unidentified driver on complaint given by NHAI highway patrol personnel,” said Saloni Agarwal, assistant commissioner of police (Wave City).
The district recorded 991 road accidents in 2023, with 365 fatalities, according to figures from the traffic police. This was an increase from 2022, with 886 accidents and 363 deaths reported. In 2021, there were 824 accidents and 392 deaths reported. As the investigation continues, authorities are focused on preventing similar incidents and bringing closure to the family of the victim.