Four people lost their lives in separate road accidents in Mohali within 48 hours, once again raising concerns about road safety in the city, which recorded 312 mishap-related deaths last year.
In the first case, social media influencer Neeraj Sharma, 38, was killed, and seven others were injured after their Maruti Baleno was sandwiched between a tipper truck and a bus at Bakarpur light point on Airport Road around 4:30 am on Sunday. Sharma, a Himachal Pradesh native residing in Kharar, was traveling with his family and relatives to Haridwar when the tragedy struck. The car had eight occupants, including two couples and four children aged between 2 to 8.
The accident occurred when a truck (PB-07-3242) hit their car from behind, forcing it into a bus ahead. Bystanders pulled the victims from the wreckage and rushed them to a private hospital in Zirakpur, where Sharma succumbed to his injuries. The others, including the children, were later referred to PGIMER. The truck driver, Lakhwinder Singh of Hoshiarpur, suffered leg injuries but later escaped from the hospital. He has been booked under Sections 281 (rash driving), 106 (causing death by negligence), and 324(4) (intentionally damaging or causing loss to property) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
In another accident near Airport Chowk on Saturday night, a man identified as Ajay Kumar was killed after being hit by a tempo around 11:30 pm. According to his uncle, Shri Pal, the duo had stopped their bike when a speeding tempo hit Kumar while he was waiting nearby. The driver fled the scene, and a case has been registered under Sections 281, 106, and 324(4) of BNS.
The third fatality occurred in Kuranwala village, Dera Bassi, where a motorcyclist, Mohammad Haleem, died after being hit by a tipper truck. The driver, Nishant Rana, fled the scene after the mishap. Haleem was taken to the Dera Bassi civil hospital but succumbed to his injuries.
In the fourth incident, a cyclist, Tarsem Singh, 61, was killed in Handesra after being hit by an unidentified speeding vehicle. Police have booked an unidentified person in the case.
The series of accidents has once again highlighted the urgent need for stricter road safety measures in Mohali.
