Greater Noida: Two youngsters die as Ducati bike crashes, breaks guardrail of under-construction underpass

Two youngsters put for a midnight ride on a Ducati Scrambler lost their lives after the bike broke through an iron guardrail and plunged into a seven-foot-deep pit dug for the construction of an underpass on the Taj Highway near Char Murti roundabout in Greater Noida on Tuesday, reported TOI.

The police said that the rider was speeding and may have lost control of the bike. Sandbags placed beyond the safety rails could not break their fall.

Ankur Singh (28) had picked up his friend, Kashish (25) at around around 2.30 am from her flat in 14th Avenue society, about 2.4km from Gaur Chowk, minutes before the crash.

They were likely headed to Singh's apartment in Panchsheel Green 2, which is in Greater Noida West.

The police received a call in the early hours of Tuesday and rushed a team Bisrakh to the spot. "It appears the bike smashed into a safety railing of the underpass site and fell into the pit," a senior officer told TOI.

The officer is that it is likely that the two landed on construction materials and machinery left at the site and suffered severe injuries. They were rushed to District Hospital in Sector 39, but died on the way.

"Both had died by the time they were brought to the hospital," District Hospital CMS Renu Aggarwal said.

Both the victims were not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, police said. With no eyewitnesses at that hour, investigators are relying on CCTV footage and forensic examination of the crash site.

The motorcycle, a premium model priced at Rs 9 lakh, was left largely undamaged, they said.

Both Singh and Kashish were employed in private companies. The police could not reach Singh's family on Tuesday. Kashish's family members, on the other hand, were on their way to Noida from Allahabad.

Police say the investigation is ongoing, and they are working to determine the precise sequence of events leading to the crash.

Greater Noida Authority additional CEO Prerna Singh told TOI that there are diversions and barricades in place around the Char Murti roundabout for the construction of the underpass.

"It appears the bike was speeding. We have ordered immediate reinforcement of safety measures at the site, including the installation of reflective tapes, stronger barriers, and better lighting. "A coordination meeting with the traffic police will be convened soon to ensure personnel are present at the site during night hours," she said.

The under-construction underpass at the Char Murti roundabout, also known as Gaur Chowk, is part of a major infrastructure project to ease traffic congestion in Greater Noida West.

The 700-metre, six-lane underpass on the Taj Highway is designed to help commuters from Surajpur bypass the roundabout and directly connect to Gaur City and the Delhi-Meerut Expressway.

The traffic in the area was temporarily stopped even as the construction continued. Key sections of the carriageway have been blocked due to digging at the main intersection, forcing vehicles to take detours via service lanes and U-turns.