Kanpur horror: Woman driver rams Thar into scooter, kills man on Diwali eve, flees
After hitting the scooter, the SUV went out of control, broke through the boundary wall of a residential property and crashed into a garden.
PTC News Desk: A 55-year-old scooter rider was killed after a speeding Mahindra Thar allegedly driven by a woman who was learning to drive hit his scooter in Kanpur on Saturday night, ahead of Diwali.
The impact was so strong that the man died on the spot. After hitting the scooter, the SUV went out of control, broke through the boundary wall of a residential property and crashed into a garden.
The victim was identified as Santosh Singh Chauhan. According to eyewitnesses, two women and a man were travelling in the Thar, with one of the women driving the vehicle.
Police said all three occupants got out of the damaged SUV and fled in another car that reached the spot shortly after the accident.
Santosh had left home on his scooter around 7:30 pm, carrying a saree for his wife. He had told his family that he would be back soon, his son Rahul Chauhan said. However, the family soon received the news of his death. The accident happened barely 500 metres from their home.
The property next to the accident site belongs to Anita Mahadevan, a GST Superintendent currently posted in Bengaluru.
Professor Kailash Chauhan said he rushed outside after hearing a loud crash. He claimed that two women and a man were inside the Thar and that one of the women was driving.
Thar occupants flee after crash
According to eyewitnesses, all three occupants got out of the damaged SUV and left in another car that arrived shortly after the accident. By that time, Santosh had died.
Police traced the registered owner of the Thar through its number plate. Initial information suggests that the vehicle is registered in the name of Krishna Kumar, whose address is listed as Panka Bahadur Nagar in Panki.
Police have registered a case and started an investigation into the accident.
CCTV footage from nearby cameras is being checked to identify the three occupants and find out which route they took after fleeing. Police are also recording statements from eyewitnesses and verifying details linked to the vehicle's registered owner.
The identity of the woman allegedly driving the Thar and the exact circumstances of the accident are yet to be confirmed.
Eyewitnesses said the SUV was speeding when it hit Santosh's scooter. The driver then lost control of the vehicle. The Thar first broke through the boundary wall of Professor Kailash Chauhan's house before crashing into the boundary wall of a neighbouring property.