SUV hits pedestrians in Chanakyapuri; one killed, another injured

 NEW DELHI

A pedestrian was killed and another grievously injured when an SUV rammed into them on the pavement in south Delhi’s Chanakyapuri on Sunday morning, the police said.

The crash occurred about two kilometres from Rashtrapati Bhavan. Despite the high-security location, the victim’s body lay on the road for hours before being removed.

Police arrested the driver, Ashish, 29, and seized the vehicle. “The accused said he had borrowed a friend’s car and dozed off, losing control,” a senior officer said, adding that investigators are probing whether he was under the influence of alcohol.

Visuals accessed by The Hindu showed dents on the vehicle’s left side and several alcohol bottles inside. CCTV footage reviewed by police shows the vehicle, with Uttar Pradesh number plate, crossing the Gyarah Murti landmark before veering sharply onto the pavement and striking the two pedestrians.

Both victims were rushed to Ram Manohar LohiaHospital. One was declared “brought dead” while the other remains in critical condition, the police said.

Police said Ashish works at a private company and was earlier employed at a Delhi hospital.

Father of the accused, Ramesh, said his son had celebrated Raksha Bandhan with his sisters in the afternoon before going out with friends in the evening. “The car belonged to one of his friends. I don’t know what happened after that. This morning, police called to say he had been involved in an accident,” he said.

Mr. Ramesh added that his son had quit his job as a driver six months ago and had been considering registering as a bike taxi driver.