Ahmedabad: SUV jumps divider on Ashram Road, 3 injured; liquor bottle found

Ahmedabad: A speeding SUV jumped a divider and crashed into a tree near Usmanpura on Ashram Road in the early hours of Sunday, injuring three youths and prompting police to probe whether the occupants were involved in drunken driving or street racing.

Police said the impact of the crash was so severe that the front portion of the vehicle was completely mangled. Three occupants sustained injuries and were shifted to hospital by a 108 ambulance service. During inspection of the vehicle, police recovered a liquor bottle from near the driver’s seat.

According to police, five youths from the Teen Darwaza area had gone out for a late-night snack drive. Police said at around 3am the vehicle driver lost control on the wheels on the stretch between Usmanpura and Vadaj.

Officials said the SUV jumped over the divider and rammed into a tree on the opposite side of the road. Three occupants were injured in the crash and were rushed to hospital for treatment. Their condition was not immediately known.

Police said another damaged car was also found near the accident spot, prompting cops to examine whether the drivers of the two vehicles were racing on the nearly empty road late at night. CCTV footage from Ashram Road and nearby intersections is being scanned to establish the sequence of events.

Traffic police officials said the liquor bottle recovered from the SUV has become part of the investigation. Samples and other evidence are being examined to determine whether the driver was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.

Navrangpura police and traffic police have initiated further legal proceedings in connection with the accident.