A tragic accident late Tuesday night claimed the lives of four young men returning from a party in Raiwala to their homes in Rishikesh. The fatal crash occurred when their speeding SUV collided with a parked truck after the driver reportedly lost control upon encountering a stray cow on the road.
The Fatal Sequence of Events
The incident took place near the railway crossing on the busy Haridwar-Rishikesh highway. According to police, the group was traveling in an SUV when a cow suddenly appeared on the roadway. In a desperate attempt to avoid the animal, the driver lost control of the vehicle. The SUV then veered and crashed into a truck that was parked on the roadside. All four occupants died on the spot.
The victims have been identified as Dheeraj Jaiswal (31), Haiom Pandey (22), Karan Prasad (23), and Satyam Kumar (20). Notably, all four men were professional drivers by occupation. A police team rushed to the scene and sent the critically injured individuals to AIIMS Rishikesh, where doctors, unfortunately, declared them brought dead.
Police Investigation and Official Statements
Postmortem examinations were conducted on Wednesday, after which the bodies were handed over to the grieving families. Authorities stated that they had not received any formal complaint regarding the incident as of their latest update.
Dehradun SSP Ajay Singh provided insights into the preliminary findings. "Initial inquiry indicates speeding as the reason for the accident," he stated. "The driver lost control of the vehicle when a stray animal suddenly appeared on the road and collided with the truck parked on the roadside. A probe is also on to find out under what circumstances the truck was parked there. No formal complaint has been received so far. Action will be taken accordingly."
Immediate Aftermath: Crackdown on Stray Animals
The fatal crash has prompted immediate action from the police administrations in both Dehradun and Haridwar districts. They have launched a special drive to address the persistent danger posed by stray animals on highways and state roads.
The key initiative involves fitting stray cows and other animals with ultra-bright reflective radium collars. These collars are designed to alert commuters to the animals' presence in the dark, potentially preventing similar accidents.
Haridwar DM Mayur Dixit elaborated on the measures, saying, "Our teams are rounding up stray animals from the highway and city areas. The cow shelter in the city is almost ready, and the stray animals are being put in temporary shelters." This drive highlights the ongoing challenge of managing stray cattle in the region, a critical issue for road safety.
