Trapped 8 hours, couple bleeds to death on Delhi-Mumbai expressway
What's the story
A tragic accident on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway near Nuh has claimed the lives of a couple from Delhi, The Indian Express reported. The victims, Laxmi Ram (42) and his wife Kusumlata (38), were returning home when their Maruti WagonR was hit by an unidentified heavy vehicle between 11:30pm and midnight on Tuesday, according to the police. The impact pushed their car against a metal crash barrier, leaving them trapped inside for hours.
Investigation underway
Police response delayed, couple dies from injuries
After being alerted by a passerby, the police arrived at the accident site around 7:30am on Wednesday. By then, both Laxmi Ram and Kusumlata had succumbed to their injuries and blood loss. Their bodies were found in a position suggesting that Laxmi had tried to hold onto his wife during the ordeal, the police reportedly said.
Grieving relatives
Family mourns loss, seeks justice
The couple lived in Mangiram Park, Delhi's Budh Vihar, with their four young children. Devi Singh (65), Laxmi Ram's father, filed a complaint leading to an FIR for rash driving and death by negligence against the unknown driver. "On 02.12.2023, around 7pm...my son Laxmi Ram and daughter-in-law Kusumlata left for Delhi in WagonR... They were going via Delhi Delhi-Mumbai Highway," he wrote in his complaint.
Ongoing investigation
CCTV footage reviewed, heavy vehicles flagged
The Nuh Sadar police station is now analyzing CCTV footage to identify the offending vehicle. "Two heavy vehicles have been flagged on the footage; we are tracing the owner of those and should nab the accused soon," Station House Officer, Inspector Praveen Kumar, was quoted as saying. A post-mortem was conducted at Government Medical College and Hospital in Nalhar on Wednesday before handing over the bodies to family members for cremation on Thursday morning.