3 of Amritsar killed in accident near Jalandhar

A tragic road accident near a hotel, close to the Pathankot Bypass, claimed three lives, including a child, and left two others seriously injured on Monday evening. The collision between a car and an overloaded truck was so severe that both vehicles overturned, leaving the car completely wrecked.

Seven family members — two men, three women and two children — in a car were going to Ludhiana to visit the ailing mother of the driver, who was hospitalised. According to witnesses, the truck, which was overloaded with paddy, attempted to overtake the car, resulting in the collision.

The impact caused both vehicles to lose balance, with the truck crossing the divider and overturning on the opposite lane.

The deceased have been identified as Palak, her son Piyush and another woman Jyoti Arora, while those injured have been identified as Meena and Ansh (child), and the two men Varun and Aman were reportedly taken out safe. The family hails from Amritsar, having their residence near Hathi Gate, as per the police.

Passersby immediately rushed to help, managing to rescue some passengers from the mangled car. However, two of the deceased and another injured woman had to be extricated using hydraulic cutters. Among the fatalities were two women and a child, whose bodies were sent for post-mortem to the Civil Hospital.

ASI Satpal and personnel of the Sadak Surakhya Force, who reached the spot, confirmed that the injured — a man, a woman and a child—were taken to a private hospital on the highway, while the car driver was safely taken out. However, the child reportedly suffered a broken arm, while the woman sustained severe injuries.

SHO Gurmukh Singh of Police Station Division No. 8 said the truck driver fled the scene, leaving the vehicle behind. He said preliminary investigations suggest that the truck’s attempt to overtake led to the crash. “The overloaded truck overturned partially onto the car, causing severe damage. The truck also damaged the road divider and blocked one side of the highway, leading to heavy traffic congestion,” Singh said.

He said they had recorded the car driver’s statement and are working to locate the truck’s owner and the absconding driver. “An FIR will be filed under relevant sections of the BNS and further investigation is on,” added Singh.

He further said the highway was cleared after hours of disruption.