Naresh Kumar/Sangrur
A car driver was killed after his vehicle collided head-on with a truck on the Bhawanigarh-Sangrur National Highway near Ghabdan village in Punjab’s Sangrur district early Wednesday, police said.
The accident took place near PGI Hospital at around 3:45 a.m. when a Maruti Brezza car travelling from Bhawanigarh towards Sangrur allegedly lost control and crossed the divider before entering the opposite lane, where it crashed into an oncoming truck.
According to officials, the impact of the collision was severe, leaving the front portion of the car extensively damaged and trapping the driver inside the vehicle.
A team of the Road Safety Force (RSF), led by Assistant Sub-Inspector Harbans Singh and Constable Gurjan Singh, rushed to the spot after receiving information about the accident. With the assistance of local residents and passersby, the personnel rescued the driver from the mangled vehicle and shifted him to the Civil Hospital in Sangrur.
Doctors at the hospital, however, declared him dead on arrival.
The deceased was identified as Jagdish Kumar, a resident of Ablowal on Nabha Road in Patiala district.
Officials said the deceased’s mobile phone and cash were handed over to his family members after completion of the necessary formalities.
Police have taken both the damaged car and the truck into custody and initiated an investigation into the incident.
Preliminary inquiries indicate that overspeeding or loss of control over the vehicle may have contributed to the accident. However, police said the exact cause would be determined after a detailed investigation.
The body was handed over to the family following post-mortem examination, police added.