Gujarat : Oil tanker driver arrested in Ahmedabad-Vadodara Expressway crash killing 10 people

Ahmedabad : Ten people tragically lost their lives on Wednesday in a horrific accident on the Ahmedabad-Vadodara Expressway near Nadiad, Gujarat. A car carrying passengers headed to various destinations collided with a stationary oil tanker parked in the left lane. While the deceased car driver has been booked for negligence, the Gujarat Police have arrested the oil tanker driver for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

The investigation has taken an interesting turn, with police now probing whether the car was operating as an unofficial taxi service.  Inspector Kirit Chaudhary of Nadiad Rural Police revealed that the passengers were unrelated and traveling to different locations within Gujarat, including Ahmedabad, Deesa, and potentially other destinations. Most passengers are believed to have boarded the car in Vadodara.  Authorities are currently trying to locate the car’s owner to determine if it was used for regular inter-city commutes or a one-time hire.

An FIR filed against both drivers, Imityaz Ansari (oil tanker) and the deceased Surendra Singh Rawat (car), lays the blame for the accident on their negligence. The FIR alleges that Ansari parked his vehicle in the left lane without activating parking lights or hazard signals.  Even though he claimed a mechanical issue, Ansari reportedly made no attempt to contact highway authorities or any emergency services for help.  Tragically, he remained inside his cabin throughout the ordeal.  The FIR further accuses Rawat of attempting to overtake in the emergency lane, a maneuver known to be dangerous. This ultimately resulted in the loss of his own life and the lives of his nine passengers.

The arrested driver, Imityaz Ansari, has been remanded to judicial custody by a local court as of Thursday. The investigation into the car’s usage and the full circumstances surrounding the accident are ongoing.