New Delhi: Two pavement dwellers were killed and as many injured when they were run over by a speeding car in north Delhi today.
The incident occurred around 12 noon when a person, identified as Harish Kumar (32), was driving an Etios car from Rajghat towards ISBT.
Four persons, who were sleeping on the pavement, came under the wheels of the car as it veered off the road. Two of them died while two others were injured.
The injured have been identified as Rashid and Deepak and are currently undergoing treatment at LNJP Hospital, police said. The deceased are yet to be identified.
The accused driver claimed that he was trying to save a beggar who was crossing the road, and swerved to the left. He ended up taking the car over the pavement, they added.
Police said his claims were being verified. They also suspect that the driver might have fallen asleep at the wheel and ended up running the car over the pavement dwellers.
They have also taken Kumar’s blood samples to ascertain whether he was driving under the influence of alcohol.
The car belonged to Kumar’s maternal uncle. He had taken his uncle’s car to Faridabad and was returning to his home in New Usmanpur in northeast Delhi when the incident took place.
Kumar works as a guest teacher in a government school in Yamuna Vihar.
A beat constable, Sonu, ensured that the situation did not get out of hand as the locals were agitated when the incident happened but before they could harm the driver, he ensured that the injured were rushed to the hospital and the driver was arrested by the local police.
On April 20, two pavement dwellers were killed and as many injured after they were run over by a car allegedly driven by a class XII student in north Delhi’s Kashmere Gate area.
—PTI