Vadodara accident accused Rakshit Ravish Chaurasia has claimed that he was not “drunk” before his car hit a two-wheeler which resulted in the death of one woman, whereas four others were injured. The Vadodara Police, however, suspects it could be a case of drunk driving, as eyewitnesses who caught Rakshit Chaurasia at the crime scene told officers he appeared intoxicated and was shouting “another round, another round” after exiting the car.
In a viral video, which HT.com could not independently verify, Rakshit Chaurasia was also heard screaming “Nikita” after the crash.
CCTV camera footage accessed by the media shows the speeding car hitting two scooters, knocking down riders, and dragging them along before stopping.
The accident took place around 12.30am near Muktanand Crossroads in the Karelibaug area, after which the driver, Rakshit Chaurasia, was arrested, said deputy commissioner of Police Panna Momaya.
What did police say about the fatal crash?
Rakshit Chaurasia, remains in police custody. Vadodara police commissioner Narasimha Komar said more than three vehicles, including two active vehicles and an electric vehicle (EV), were involved in the accident.
Komar confirmed that the collision resulted in one woman’s death and left eight others injured, with multiple investigative teams working on the case. “Three other vehicles – two active vehicles, an electric vehicle (EV), apart from a four-wheeler, are involved in the incident… Eight people were injured, and a woman has died. Multiple investigative teams are investigating the incident,” Komar told reporters on Saturday.
He also mentioned that the police are recovering evidence from the scene and are tracking the co-passenger’s movements. “The teams are recovering the evidence from the scene of the crime. Police are tracking the entire movement of the driver and co-passenger of the four-wheeler… The person driving the four-wheeler is in police custody, and police have been successful in tracking the movement of the co-passenger… Further investigation is underway,” he added.
Although police have registered a drunk driving case against Chaurasia, he has denied being intoxicated at the time of the accident. He claimed he had attended a Holika Dahan celebration and had not been partying. Chaurasia said that he was not drunk, was driving at 50 km/h, and wanted to meet the victim’s family, accepting responsibility for the accident.
“We were going ahead of the scooty, we were turning right, and there was a pothole on the road. There was a scooty and a car while we were turning right… The car slightly touched the other vehicle, and the airbag opened suddenly, our vision was hampered, and the car went out of control,” Chaurasia was quoted as saying by ANI.
He further added, “We were going at 50 km/hour. There were no people at that time, just a scooter and a car… I had no idea. I did not do any party, I went for Holika Dahan and was not drunk… Today, I was told that one woman has died and a few have sustained injuries. I want to meet the family of the victims; it is my fault, and whatever they want, that should happen.”
(With ANI, PTI inputs)