A road accident on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway early Wednesday morning killed three doctors and two hospital staff members, all from the Uttar Pradesh University of Medical Sciences in Saifai, police said.
The accident happened around 3 am in the Tirwa area of Kannauj district. The SUV carrying the victims lost control, crashed into a divider, and was then hit by a truck. The group was returning to Saifai after attending a wedding in Lucknow.
According to the police, the SUV first hit the median divider and crossed into the oncoming lane, where it collided with a truck. The crash killed three doctors, one lab technician, and a store manager on the spot.
A PG student who was also in the vehicle suffered serious injuries and was rushed to Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Medical College in Tirwa.
The deceased were identified as Dr. Anirudh Verma, 29, from Agra; Dr. Arun Kumar, 34, from Kannauj; Dr. Narendra Dev, 35, from Bareilly; lab technician Santosh Kumar Maurya, 46, from Bhadohi; and store manager Rakesh Kumar, 38. The injured person, Jaiveer Singh, 39, from Moradabad, is receiving treatment at Tirwa Medical College.
The families of the victims are devastated by the loss. Dr. Anirudh Verma’s father, Dr. Pawan Kumar Verma, rushed to Kannauj upon hearing the news. In Agra, the family was planning Anirudh’s wedding before the tragedy struck. In Kannauj, the death of Dr. Arun Kumar has left his village, Gochipur, in shock.
Dr. Arun is survived by his father, who was the village head, six sisters, and three brothers.
In Bareilly, Dr. Narendra Dev’s death has deeply saddened the residents of Gangwar Colony in Nawabganj. His wife, Suman, and his brother, Yagyadev, traveled to Kannauj as soon as they heard the news.
Santosh Kumar Maurya’s family, including his wife, who is also a lab technician, is on their way to Kannauj. Police said the bodies will be handed over to their families after the postmortem.
How the accident occured?
According to Superintendent of Police Amit Kumar Anand, the accident happened around 3 a.m. near Point 196 in Tirva. The group of doctors had traveled to Lucknow in their SUV to attend a wedding and were returning to Etawah when the crash occurred.
Preliminary investigations suggest the driver fell asleep at the wheel, causing the vehicle to lose control and ram into the divider. After crossing into the opposite lane, the SUV was struck by a truck coming from Rajasthan.
Circle Officer Dr. Priyanka Bajpai confirmed that police have informed the victims' families, and legal formalities are underway.
This tragedy highlights the dangers of high-speed travel and fatigue on long journeys.
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