YouTuber Anurag Dobhal out of ICU, undergoes surgery
Bigg Boss 17 contestant and popular YouTuber Anurag Dobhal, who sustained serious injuries in a car crash, was shifted from the ICU to a hospital ward and underwent orthopaedic surgery for his right hip, hospital authorities said on Monday.
According to investigators, Dobhal was livestreaming on social media during the drive, referring to it as his “final ride.” Medical Superintendent of Max Super Speciality Hospital, Vaishali, Dr Preeti Goel, said that the 28-year-old content creator is currently haemodynamically (stable pumping heart and good circulation of blood) stable.
“Dobhal has been shifted from the ICU to a room. He is haemodynamically stable and is on room air oxygen. He has been taken to the operation theatre for orthopaedic surgery of his right hip,” Goel said.
She added that Dobhal is under close observation and only his wife has been permitted to meet him. “We have permitted only his wife, Ritika, to visit him. No one else has been allowed to meet him, and he is being kept under intense observation,” Goel said.
Meanwhile, police are continuing their probe into the circumstances surrounding the accident, including whether the crash was accidental or deliberate.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rural) Surendra Nath Tiwari said investigators are analysing CCTV footage from the area to determine the sequence of events leading up to the crash.
“Only Dobhal can explain his mental state at the time he crashed his vehicle into the divider. We are examining CCTV footage to determine if he lost control of the steering or deliberately rammed the vehicle,” Tiwari said.
Police officials involved in the probe suspect that the SUV was travelling at a very high speed on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, possibly above 150 km/h, at the time of the crash.
Video clips circulating on social media show Dobhal hosting a livestream on Instagram on the night of March 7 while driving his Toyota Fortuner at a speed of around 150-160 kmph before the vehicle crashed into a road divider.
During the stream, which allegedly had around 80,000 viewers watching live, Dobhal is heard referring to the drive as his “last ride”, triggering concern among viewers. The accident occurred late Saturday night near the Hawa Hawai restaurant in the Masuri police station area of Ghaziabad, police said.
Information about the incident came through the 112 emergency helpline, prompting police personnel to rush to the scene. By the time they arrived, Dobhal had already been taken to Subharti Hospital by locals and police officers. He was later transferred to Max Super Speciality Hospital in Vaishali for further treatment, Tiwari said.
Dobhal sustained serious injuries after his Toyota Fortuner allegedly crashed into a divider on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway while he was travelling towards Delhi from Dehradun.
The collision was severe, causing the vehicle to flip over and land in the opposite lane, leaving the SUV extensively damaged, police said.
