Drinking & driving crash kills 2

NEW DELHI: Once again, drinking and driving has claimed two young lives. The scene of the accident early on Saturday morning — 1:45 am — involving a Maruti Esteem and an overloaded truck was the under-construction high-capacity bus corridor which, as TOI has been repeatedly warning, has become a major traffic hazard.

Particularly at night, when people tend to drive a bit fast, the narrow lanes illuminated with floodlights loom up suddenly in the distance, blinding the driver.

The five young men returning from a birthday party in Nizamuddin and heading for Khirki Extension had consumed alcohol, according to the police, but how much the construction work contributed to the tragedy must be looked into seriously.

The car (DL 3CF 8654) jumped the central verge and collided head-on with a truck coming from the opposite direction on JB Tito Marg, near the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) office at Sadiq Nagar.

According to the police, the car’s driver was in the bus lane (not yet operational and open to all traffic) when he lost control and the vehicle crossed the divider. It landed in front of a truck (RJ 32G 1927) in the bus lane on the other side. The truck rammed into it.

Two youths — Amit Raghav (35) and Sarabjeet Singh alias Monu (28) — who were seated in front — died on the spot while three in the rear were injured. They have been identified as Avinash Bhargava, Bhim and Gaurav.

The car, fitted with an unauthorised CNG kit, reportedly belonged to Bhim while Sarabjeet was driving. After the accident, three other friends of the youths, who were reportedly following them, beat up the driver and cleaner of the truck.