At least nine individuals lost their lives in a series of tragic road accidents across several districts of western Uttar Pradesh, with police attributing the cause to a combination of dense fog and high-speed driving. The incidents occurred on Wednesday and Thursday, affecting the districts of Bareilly, Badaun, Rampur, Sambhal, and Moradabad.
Family Tragedy and Highway Collisions
In one of the most heartbreaking incidents, three members of a single family were killed in Bareilly district. The accident took place near Gudwara village in the Bahedi police station area around 8 am on Thursday. Pappu (55) and his sons Vishal (15) and Vivek (20), residents of Itoa village, were on their motorcycle heading to Kichha in Uttarakhand for labour work when a speeding truck rammed into them from behind. The truck driver fled the scene, abandoning the vehicle. The bodies were sent for postmortem examination.
On the same day, another fatal collision occurred on the Bareilly-Pilibhit highway near the Rithora outpost under Hafizganj police station limits. A dumper collided with an e-rickshaw, resulting in the deaths of Hashim (45) and Salim (35). The e-rickshaw, which was carrying boring pipes, became trapped under the dumper and was dragged for nearly 20 feet. Rescue authorities had to employ an earth-moving machine to extricate the crushed vehicle.
Fatalities Spread Across the Region
The wave of accidents was not confined to Bareilly. In Moradabad, Farah Naz (30) succumbed to her injuries during treatment after an unidentified speeding vehicle hit her car on the Delhi-Lucknow highway in the Pakbada police station area on Thursday. Her brother, Parvez, remains in critical condition.
Badaun district witnessed a fatal hit-and-run on Wednesday. Prempal Yadav (55), a farmer, was killed after being struck by a truck on the Badaun-Dataganj road under the Musa Jhag police station. The incident sparked anger among local villagers, who gathered at the spot and briefly blocked the road in protest. The truck driver was reportedly assaulted by the crowd before being handed over to the police.
Loss of Control and Fog-Related Crashes
In Rampur's Shahzadnagar area, a young man died on Wednesday night after losing control of his motorcycle. Rajesh Yadav (25) was returning from a relative's house when his vehicle skidded into a ditch near Shankarpur village on National Highway 24.
A collision in dense fog proved fatal in Sambhal district late Wednesday night. Two motorcycles collided on the Gawan-Hasanpur road under Rajpura police station jurisdiction. The crash resulted in the death of constable Krishna Kumar (30), while head constable Vikas Kumar sustained critical injuries.
These consecutive tragedies have once again highlighted the severe risks associated with driving during the winter fog season in northern India. Police have reiterated warnings for drivers to reduce speed, use fog lights, and exercise extreme caution during early morning and late evening hours when visibility is at its worst.
