UP cop couple turns lifeline for five lives
Going above and beyond the call of duty, a constable couple of UP Police became saviours, displaying courage and quick thinking after spotting an overturned car on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway and rescuing five people trapped inside during heavy rain. The incident took place near the 171-km marker in Kannauj district on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway in Uttar Pradesh on Friday, September 25.
The driver, Vikas Yadav, reportedly lost control near Talgram in the Saurikh area. The car struck the central divider, smashed through roughly 20 metres of fencing, crossed into the opposite carriageway and overturned. Its occupants included Sultanpur District Panchayat Chairperson Usha Singh, Ayush Verma of Lakhimpur, Head Constable Arvind Kumar, who was serving as a gunner, and Geetanjali Singh of Noida.
All five occupants were injured and trapped as the doors jammed shut. Cries for help could be heard from inside the wrecked vehicle. Constable Amit Teotia and his wife, Constable Archana Singh, posted at the Asha Jyoti Centre in Kannauj, were travelling from Saurikh towards Kannauj when they spotted the overturned car. They immediately stopped their vehicle and ran to the scene. Finding the doors jammed, Teotia used the butt of his service rifle to smash the windows. Working together, the couple pulled the five occupants out one by one. Archana also flagged down other passing vehicles for additional help.
The couple then informed the police control room. Ambulance services, local police and a UPEIDA safety team, including security officer Manohar Singh, reached the spot.
The injured were first taken to the Community Health Centre in Saurikh. Usha Singh, Ayush Verma and Arvind Kumar were later referred to Tirwa Medical College for further treatment.
A video of the rescue quickly circulated on social media and drew widespread praise for the couple’s prompt action. On Sunday, Kanpur Zone Additional Director General Anupam Kulshreshtha publicly commended Amit Teotia and Archana Singh and announced that they would be formally honoured. Kannauj Superintendent of Police Vinod Kumar described their intervention as commendable, noting that they had not only extracted the trapped passengers but also ensured they received medical attention without delay.
Station House Officer Ranjana Pandey confirmed that an investigation into the accident had begun.
