Vadodara car crash: Rakshit Chaurasiya, a 23-year-old man who allegedly crashed a car into multiple vehicles in Gujarat’s Vadodara, killing a woman and leaving four others injured, claimed on Friday that he was not drunk at the time of the incident late Thursday night.
The accident occurred around 12.30am near Muktanand cross roads in the Karelibaug area following which the driver, Rakshit Chaurasiya, was arrested, said deputy commissioner of police Panna Momaya.
It could be a case of drunk driving as eyewitnesses, who caught Rakshit Chaurasiya at the scene, told the police that he appeared intoxicated and was screaming “another round, another round” after coming out of the car, the official said.
Later, Rakshit Chaurasia told the media that he was driving the car at a speed of 50 kmph when he lost control of the vehicle due to potholes on the road.
“The car lost control due to the potholes on the road. The car was running at a speed of around 50 kmph. There was a scooty and a car. I was not drunk. I want to meet the family members of the deceased because it was my fault. Whatever they wish should happen,” he told reporters.
Rakshit Chaurasia expressed regret for the accident and termed it as an “understatement”. The accused said he wants to meet the family of the deceased and say sorry, “which is a very small word”.
“I did not do any party, I went for Holika Dahan and was not drunk,” he said.
Explaining how he allegedly lost control while driving, he said, “The car was automatic… when the airbags opened, I panicked and pressed the accelerator instead of brakes.”
When asked about the girl’s name he screamed after getting out off the car, he said he randomly shouted a name “in a state of panic” and also denied being drunk at the time of the incident.
Social media reacts
Rakshit Chaurasia claiming innocence drew the ire of social media. A user named Tanmoy wrote on X, “Is He Now Released From Police Custody? A Brutal Crime Accused Is Holding A Press Meet,” he said.
“And even if He is not released, The Same Question remains, Who Gave Permission to Hold a Press Meet to an accused,” he asked.
Another user drew comparisons with the Pune hit-and-run case in which the teenage accused was released by a juvenile court on a condition that he write an essay on road safety.
“This is very shocking, police arrested & released Rakshit Ravish Chaurasia. He is studying law at MS University, killed one woman & injured 7 others after crashing his car into multiple 2-wheelers. Looks like Essay is downloading,” he post read.
What police said
The deceased woman has been identified as Hemali Patel, who was riding her scooter at the time of the accident.
Chaurasiya, who originally hails from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, is a law student and lives in a PG accommodation here, Momaya told reporters.
“The car belonged to his friend Mit Chauhan, who was sitting in the co-driver’s seat when Chaurasiya rammed the car into some two-wheelers at full speed while going towards Muktanand circle,” she said.
Efforts are being made to track down Chauhan, the official said.
In a video captured by an eyewitness, Chauhan comes out of the car, with a wrecked front portion, and starts blaming Chaurasiya for the crash.
Chaurasiya, who appears incoherent, keeps shouting, “Another round? Another round?”. The video shows Chaurasiya getting thrashed by bystanders, who subsequently handed him over to the police.
In CCTV camera footage accessed by media, the speeding car can be seen hitting two scooters, knocking down the riders and dragging them along before coming to a halt.
“Primarily, the car was overspeeding. This can also be a case of drunk driving. We will conduct his medical test to determine whether he was under the influence of alcohol,” said DCP, adding that Chaurasiya does have a driving licence.