5 killed, 4 injured as SUV mows down accident victims, rescuers on Gonda-Lucknow highway

LUCKNOW: Five people were killed and four others injured in a devastating chain-reaction crash after a speeding SUV ran over victims of an earlier road accident and locals who had gathered to rescue them on the Gonda-Lucknow highway early Thursday.

The accident took place around near Santosh Dhaba under Karnailganj Kotwali limits. According to police, the sequence began with a separate accident involving two motorcycles.

Officials said 33-year-old Sanjay Kumar Tiwari, who worked as a munshi with an advocate in Katra tehsil, was travelling on his motorcycle when a dumper hit him from behind near Narayanpur turn. The impact threw him into a roadside ditch, leaving him critically injured.

Hearing cries for help, Vinay Pratap Singh (26), who was on his way to pick up labourers, rushed to the spot. With the help of locals, he pulled Tiwari out of the ditch and brought him to the roadside. They were waiting on the other side of the highway for an ambulance when more people, including Gulshan and others, gathered at the scene.

Moments later, a speeding SUV coming from Gonda towards Lucknow allegedly lost control and rammed into the group, mowing down the injured victim as well as rescuers standing by. The impact led to multiple casualties and panic at the spot.

Four persons — Gulshan (25), Hasan Mohammad (40), Imtiyaz Ali (27) and Sanjay Kumar Tiwari (33) and 10-year-old Himanshu died in the incident. Hasan and Imtiyaz, who were real brothers, jointly ran a salon business in the area.

Five others sustained injuries, including Vinay Pratap Singh, Parvez (25) and a 10-year-old boy, Anshuman. Two of the injured were initially reported critical and referred to Gonda Medical College. However, Anshuman, who was the younger brother of Gulshan, later succumbed to injuries during treatment, sources said, taking the toll higher in subsequent developments.

Karnailganj Kotwali inspector Narendra Pratap Rai said police teams rushed to the scene after receiving information and launched rescue operations. “The bodies have been sent for post-mortem and a case has been registered. The SUV has been seized and further investigation is underway,” he said.

Eyewitness Mamta, whose family members were among those hit, said the tragedy unfolded within seconds. “People had gathered to help after the first accident. Suddenly a vehicle came at high speed and ran over everyone. My son Anshuman was injured and my brother-in-law Gulshan died,” she said.

Police said the SUV bore a Delhi registration number and was reportedly owned by Shoaib, a resident of Karnailganj, while it was being driven by one Abid at the time of the accident. Following the crash, locals caught hold of the driver and allegedly thrashed him before handing him over to police.

Officials said the vehicle, its owner and the driver have been taken into custody. Further legal proceedings are underway to ascertain the exact cause of the crash, including whether overspeeding or negligence was involved.

Scenes of chaos and grief unfolded at Gonda Medical College as relatives of the victims rushed to the hospital. Family members were seen wailing outside emergency wards while doctors attended to the injured.