A 66-year-old auto driver died when his vehicle collided head-on with a car being driven recklessly by a 17-year-old boy on Kasturba Gandhi Marg in Connaught Place area on Thursday morning.
After being hit by the car, the auto driver was flung several metres into the air thus dying on the spot, said police, adding that the minor driving the car and two of his friends aged 15 and 17 years in the car too sustained injuries and were rushed to Dr Ram Manohar lohia Hospital.
Police said the three juveniles were on a fun drive.
“It was around 5.53 am that a PCR call was received at the Barakhamba Road Police Station in New Delhi reporting that an accident has taken place at KG Marg. When a police team reached the spot, one Maruti Ciaz car and one auto rickshaw were found at the accident site,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Madhur Verma.
“Preliminary investigation has revealed that the two vehicles were speeding. The auto driver, who was identified as Shiv Shankar Mehto, a resident of T Huts on Mata Sundari Road in New Delhi area, had received critical injuries and was rushed to Ram Manohar lohia Hospital. But doctors there declared him brought dead,” said Verma.
“A case of rash driving for causing death due to negligence has been registered at Barakhamba Road police station. CCTV footage is being scanned to ascertain the sequence of incident,” the DCP said.
Police said the accused will be apprehended after their treatment is done and will be questioned. All angles related to the accident are being looked into, they said.
The car belongs to one of the uncles of the minor driver.
A senior police officer said, “We will book the owner of the car for giving the car keys to the minor.”